Overview
- India lead the five-match T20I series 1-0 after a 101-run win in Cuttack, where Hardik Pandya hit 59 not out and the hosts bowled South Africa out for 74.
- Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to field in the second T20I at Mullanpur, keeping the same XI that featured Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma as wicketkeeper.
- South Africa made three changes for rotation reasons, bringing in Reeza Hendricks, George Linde and Ottneil Baartman for Tristan Stubbs, Keshav Maharaj and Anrich Nortje.
- The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh stadium in Mullanpur is staging its first men’s international, with captains noting likely evening dew as a factor.
- Team decisions continue to face external commentary, with Robin Uthappa warning India about over-flexible batting roles and Yashasvi Jaiswal stating he will wait for his chance and still targets the T20 World Cup.