India Clinches T20 Series Against South Africa with Thrilling Victory

India concluded the T20 series against South Africa with a remarkable 30-run victory in the final match, securing the series 3-1. Hardik Pandya's explosive half-century and Varun Chakravarthy's four wickets were pivotal in this win. Despite a strong start from Quinton de Kock, South Africa faltered in the latter half of their innings. This match not only highlighted individual brilliance but also set the stage for upcoming selections for the T20 World Cup. Read on for a detailed breakdown of the match's thrilling moments and standout performances.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 20, 2025, 08:53 IST

India's Dominant Performance in Final T20 Match

In a thrilling conclusion to the T20 series, India triumphed over South Africa by 30 runs in the fifth and final match held on Friday, securing the series 3-1. The victory was bolstered by impressive half-centuries from Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma, alongside a stellar bowling performance from Varun Chakravarthy, who took four wickets.

Pandya achieved his half-century in just 16 balls, marking it as the second-fastest fifty for India. Tilak Varma contributed significantly with a score of 73, helping India post a formidable total of 231 runs for five wickets. In response, South Africa started strong with Quinton de Kock scoring 65 runs, but they faltered, losing their last seven wickets for just 81 runs, finishing at 201 runs for eight wickets.

Jasprit Bumrah was effective for India, claiming two wickets for only 17 runs in four overs. De Kock began aggressively, hitting Aashdeep Singh for six fours and a six during the powerplay, but lacked support from the other end, as Reeza Hendricks fell for just 13 runs.

Varun Chakravarthy's bowling was pivotal, with Shivam Dube taking a spectacular one-handed catch at midwicket. De Kock and Dewald Brevis formed a partnership, adding 51 runs for the second wicket in just 23 balls. However, Bumrah's one-handed return catch of De Kock shifted the momentum back to India, as he also dismissed Brevis shortly after.

Chakravarthy finished with impressive figures of four wickets for 53 runs. He dismissed Aiden Markram leg before wicket while attempting a paddle sweep and later sent Donovan Ferreira back to the pavilion. Aashdeep Singh's dismissal of David Miller in the 15th over dashed South Africa's hopes of a comeback.

Earlier, Hardik Pandya's explosive innings was the highlight of India's batting. His 16-ball fifty is now the fastest by an Indian player after Yuvraj Singh's record of 12 balls set in 2007. Pandya scored 63 runs off 25 balls, hitting five fours and five sixes, and formed a crucial partnership of 105 runs with Tilak Varma for the fourth wicket, who scored 73 runs off 42 balls with ten fours and one six.

Playing in front of a home crowd in the IPL, Pandya delivered a remarkable performance, while captain Suryakumar Yadav struggled again with just five runs. Pandya's explosive innings was complemented by Tilak, who kept the strike rotating. Earlier, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson contributed 34 and 37 runs, respectively, helping India reach 63 runs by the sixth over.

With vice-captain Shubman Gill injured, Samson seized the opportunity to strengthen his claim for selection in the upcoming T20 World Cup. He was dismissed by George Linde, who bowled a leg stump delivery. Samson began his innings with a six off Marco Jansen and hit two impressive strokes off Otneil Bartman. Just before his dismissal, he was given a lifeline when Donovan Ferreira dropped a return catch that struck umpire Rohan Pandit.

In a light-hearted moment, a member of the broadcasting team was injured by a six hit by Pandya, which bounced into the crowd, hitting a spectator in the arm.