India hope to clinch T20I series as South Africa battle for survival

Another rampant victory for Team India in the third match put them on the cusp of bagging another T20I series, leaving South Africa with much to do as they look for answers to the hosts' probing questions after Aiden Markram's men were blown away in Dharamsala.

As the caravan moves to Lucknow, the Men in Blue will be hopeful of pocketing the T20I series win while South Africa will need to bring their A-game to the fore if they are to challenge the red-hot form India are in.

While the Indian bowlers have enjoyed a good outing, particularly in Dharamsala, questions are lingering over the form of both skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill, who have flattered to deceive so far in the series and will be desperate to score some crucial runs.

Venue Watch:

The track in Lucknow will be another balanced surface with true bounce as before. The batters can expect decent carry with the ball exhibiting early drift. However, the dew factor in the second half can be a decisive one with batting being considerably easier.

Match details:

Match - India vs South Africa, 4th T20I

Venue – Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground, Ardonamau

Date – 17th December, 2025

Time – 7:00 PM

Head-to-head:

Matches played - 34

India - 20

South Africa – 13

Squads:

India:

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wicket-keeper), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar.

South Africa:

Aiden Markram (captain), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tristan Stubbs.