Overview
- India posted 175/6 and then dismissed South Africa for 74, the visitors’ lowest T20I total, to take a 1–0 lead in the five-match series.
- Hardik Pandya marked his return with an unbeaten 59 off 28 balls and a wicket to earn Player of the Match, after a focused rehab stint at the NCA.
- Jasprit Bumrah reached 100 T20I wickets and became the first Indian with 100 wickets in all three formats, with the milestone delivery later questioned by a new camera angle after being ruled fair on review.
- Arshdeep Singh’s new-ball burst (2-14) set the tone, with the left-armer describing a seam-hitting plan on a responsive surface; Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy also claimed two wickets each.
- Suryakumar Yadav explained protecting Pandya’s bowling workload by opening with Arshdeep and Bumrah, while Jitesh Sharma retained the gloves over Sanju Samson and called their contest healthy competition.