The first India vs South Africa T20I will be played in Cuttack at the Barabati Stadium on December 9, 2025.
The Men in Blue are riding in with a 2-1 One Day International (ODI) series triumph over the Proteas, along with a T20I series victory over Australia, in Australia last month.
Veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma leave the scene as youngsters take centre stage. While India’s actual playing XI is expected to only be revealed after the toss, here’s a predicted playing XI for the IND vs SA 1st T20I.
IND vs SA 1st T20I: Who All Could Make The Cut?
The Men in Blue beat the Aussies 2-1 Down Under in what was their last T20I series. Therefore, we shouldn’t see a lot of changes in India’s lineup in Cuttack from those fixtures.
Their core is more or less concrete in this format, and hence, fans can expect familiar faces to take to the field, including Hardik Pandya, who has returned to cricket following his Asia Cup injury.
One exception, though, could be the vice captain, Shubman Gill. He is also coming back from an injury, albeit more recent, so the management might not rush him back into the middle, especially with the T20 World Cup on the horizon.
With that said, here is India’s predicted playing XI for their first T20 match against South Africa:
Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav
The match will be played, as mentioned, in Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium, where the pitch tends to assist spinners.
Therefore, the hosts have a good chance, particularly if they bowl in the first innings to negate the dew factor. That said, the Proteas also boast quality spin options, such as Keshav Maharaj.
Check Out: ICC T20 World Cup 2026 In Trouble? JioHotstar May Not Stream Event: Here’s What We Know
