India defeated South Africa by seven wickets in the third T20I on Sunday, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Chasing 118, India’s openers Abhishek Sharma (35 off 18 balls) and Shubman Gill (28 off 28 balls) added 60 runs in just 5.2 overs, making the target look easy. The very first ball of the innings went for a six, setting the tone for a dominant chase.
Abhishek and Gill attacked from the start, hitting South African pacers, including Lungi Ngidi, for quick runs. The duo ensured that South African bowlers could not settle, while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 26 to see India comfortably past the target in 15.5 overs. Gill’s steady knock helped him regain confidence after two moderate performances earlier in the series.
India’s pacers shined first, bundling South Africa out for 117. Arshdeep Singh (2/13), Harshit Rana (2/34), and Hardik Pandya (1/23) led the attack. Varun Chakravarthy (2/11) and Kuldeep Yadav supported well, taking key wickets and keeping South Africa under pressure. Spinner Chakravarthy also achieved his 50th T20I wicket, while Pandya completed 100 wickets in T20Is.
South African captain Aiden Markram was the top scorer with 61 off 46 balls, but lack of support from other batsmen hurt the team. Early wickets of Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock, and Dewald Brevis put South Africa at 7 for 3 inside just over three overs. Later wickets of Tristan Stubbs and Corbin Bosch further slowed their innings. Donovan Ferreira scored 20 before being dismissed by Chakravarthy, while Marco Jansen was also trapped by the spinner.
The match highlighted India’s strong bowling and quick scoring at the start. Despite some late hitting from South Africa, the early damage done by Indian bowlers and the aggressive batting of Abhishek Sharma made the chase easy. With this win, India is now in a strong position to take the series, while South Africa will need to bounce back in the next game.
