South Africa seek answers in Ahmedabad decider

South Africa's tour concludes with the fifth T20I in Ahmedabad, a series decider after the Lucknow match was abandoned. The result stretched India's unbeaten T20I series run to 14, leaving South Africa with only a chance to level the series 2-2.

Beyond the series result, the final match is a crucial opportunity for South Africa to test combinations in Indian conditions ahead of next year's T20 World Cup, especially in the absence of Kagiso Rabada. A loss would be their 19th defeat in 29 T20Is since the 2024 World Cup.

A primary concern has been their Powerplay batting. They have been the worst-performing Full Member side in this phase, averaging 20.21 with a scoring rate of 7.21. Top-order collapses in Cuttack and Dharamsala have highlighted ongoing issues, even with Quinton de Kock's return.

Key questions remain unresolved:

• Identifying the best candidate for the No. 5 batting role.
• Determining the optimal bowling combination that doesn't overly elongate the tail.
  The team has made three changes in each of the two completed matches and must decide whether to experiment further or settle on their perceived best XI for this final outing.

Match Details:

• When: Friday, December 19, 2025, 7:00 PM IST
• Where: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
• What to expect: High-scoring conditions are anticipated based on recent domestic T20 games at the venue. Pacers may find early assistance, and dew could be a factor. Conditions will be milder than in the last three matches.

Team News:

India:

• Shubman Gill's availability is unconfirmed due to a toe injury.
• Jasprit Bumrah is likely to return.
• Probable XI: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy

South Africa:

• This is their last chance to trial combinations in India before the World Cup. Uncertainty over the No. 5 batter persists.
• Probable XI: Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi/Ottneil Baartman

Stats & Notes:

• Since January 2023, South Africa have won just one of 13 bilateral T20I series (vs Pakistan at home, Dec 2024).
• Shubman Gill's only T20I century was scored in Ahmedabad.
• Abhishek Sharma needs 47 runs to surpass Virat Kohli's record of 1614 T20 runs by an Indian in a calendar year (set in 2016).

Quotes:

"Guys are jamming really well, getting along very well, and everyone knows their role in the team. And I think that's very important" – Anrich Nortje, South African pacer.

"I was smart when I bowled, but I didn't know when, how and what to apply. As soon as Gautam (Gambhir) and Surya supported me and told me that I could do it, I put myself in that situation. I realised that I can bowl in challenging situations as well" – Shivam Dube, Indian all-rounder, on his development.