India could hardly have dreamed of a better start as they kicked off the five-match T20I series against South Africa with a statement win in Cuttack. The hosts thrashed the Proteas by a staggering 101 runs on December 9, 2025, at the Barabati Stadium, thanks to some late-innings fireworks from Hardik Pandya and a bowling attack that simply ran riot.
Record-Breaking Collapse for South Africa
If it felt like South Africa was in the contest early on, it all turned to rubble as the match wore on. After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Aiden Markram’s side had India stuttering and searching for answers. That was before Hardik Pandya changed the narrative entirely. Walking in with his side under pressure, Pandya conjured an unbeaten 59 off just 28 balls—an innings that flipped the game on its head and made India’s total far more daunting than it once looked.
Once the ball was in India’s hands, it was one-way traffic. South Africa, boasting T20 specialists like David Miller and Reeza Hendricks, couldn’t get going at all. They were bowled out for just 74 runs—their lowest ever score in T20 Internationals. The scale of the collapse was remarkable, especially considering that South Africa came into this series hoping to fight back after their 2-1 defeat in the ODIs last week.
India with the Momentum
It’s a rough stat line for the visitors: all out for 74 versus India’s imposing total—impressively built on top of that solo Pandya blitz. The hosts now lead 1-0 in the five-match series. Historically, India has had the better of these matchups, winning 19 of 32 T20Is against South Africa, with the Proteas managing just 12 victories (and one no result).
Now, all eyes shift to Mullanpur, where the teams face off on December 11 for the second T20I at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. South Africa has plenty to think about ahead of that contest, while India will look to tighten their grip on the series and perhaps even experiment a little with their combinations.
With live coverage available on JioHotstar and the Star Sports network, fans won’t want to miss what promises to be another fascinating clash. If the first match is anything to go by, South Africa will be desperate to prove their disastrous Cuttack outing was just a blip.
