India vs South Africa, 2nd T20I Complete Preview

The South Africa tour of India 2025 T20I series shifts to a historic new setting for the 2nd match, as the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh (Mullanpur) hosts its inaugural Men’s international game. Following India’s massive 101-run win in the opener, this match is a must-win for South Africa to keep the five-match series alive.

Match Details and Pitch Report

India: Aiming for 2-0 and Top-Order Consistency

India enters this game full of confidence after their bowlers bundled South Africa out for a record low of 74 in Cuttack. However, the focus will be on two key batters who need to fire.

• Pressure on Top Order: Opener Shubman Gill and Captain Suryakumar Yadav both entered the series with fluctuating form and will be under the spotlight to deliver a strong, confident start on the new, true surface.
• The Hardik Factor: Hardik Pandya, fresh off his Player of the Match performance (59* and a key wicket), remains central to India’s balance and explosive finishing power. He is also just one wicket away from becoming only the third Indian to reach 100 T20I wickets.
• Expected XI: India is likely to stick with their winning combination: Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.

South Africa: A Search for Answers

For Aiden Markram’s team, the game is a do-or-die situation following their historical batting collapse. The challenge is immense, requiring a rapid mental and technical adjustment.

• Brevis’s Chance: Young power-hitter Dewald Brevis struggled in the opener but will relish the true bounce of the New Chandigarh pitch, where he can exploit the shorter boundaries. He needs to convert his potential into a big score.
• Veteran Response: The pressure is on key veterans like Quinton de Kock and David Miller to counter India’s disciplined pace-spin attack and provide stability to the middle order.
• Expected XI: South Africa may rotate their bowling slightly but are likely to stick with their core batting unit: Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Lutho Sipamla, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje.

Head-to-Head T20I Record

For live scores and pitch-side analysis from the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, visit the ultimate cricket destination: www.crickethighlights.online

Image Credits : Cric Buzz

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