Overview
- India lead the five-match series 1–0 after bowling South Africa out for 74 in Cuttack, where Hardik Pandya hit 59 off 28 and the attack shared wickets.
- Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur stages its first men’s T20I, with a near-capacity crowd of about 38,000 expected.
- Punjab Police announced a traffic and security plan and said roughly 3,000 personnel will be on duty for the match.
- Pitch behaviour remains uncertain after mixed IPL scores, with cold evening temperatures and potential dew flagged as tactical factors that may favour chasing.
- India are unlikely to change a winning XI as scrutiny persists on Shubman Gill’s T20 form, and the PCA will unveil stands named for Yuvraj Singh and Harmanpreet Kaur.