South Africa vs India – T20 Series: Fixtures, Squads, Head-to-Head, News | Cricket News

Follow Al Jazeera’s live coverage of the first T20 here.

The wounds of a painful defeat in the ICC T20 World Cup final will still be fresh for South Africa when they take on conquerors India in a four-match T20 series at home from Friday.

It may have been more than four months since India’s comeback win to seal a second T20 World Cup title in Barbados, but the South African team will be left rueful for betraying what could have been their first ICC World Cup trophy.

A lot has changed since June 29 as a number of India’s star players have left the game’s shortest format and the champions continue a near-perfect winning streak in T20 internationals under new captain Suryakumar Yadav.

Amid the loss of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja to retirement and the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant due to Test cricket duties, India’s next generation of players have made their mark in the three T20 series since July.

Meanwhile, South Africa had a poor performance in their two series since the final, losing all three away games against the West Indies and one against Ireland.

The Proteas also featured a number of new faces in their recent limited overs series, but Aiden Markram remains their T20 captain.

Both teams, and indeed all top nations around the world, will be looking to reorganize for the next T20 World Cup, which is just over a year away.

The world champions will get the chance to defend their title at home in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in February/March, to be played in India and Sri Lanka.

For now, however, the focus is on South Africa’s ability to bounce back from a string of poor results and whether India can continue their torrid winning streak away from home.

What is the full schedule of the India-South Africa T20 series?

• Game 1: Friday 8 November at 5pm (15:00 GMT) in Kingsmead, Durban
• Game 2: Sunday 10 November at 4pm (14:00 GMT) at St George’s Park, Gqeberha
• Game 3: Wednesday 13 November at 5pm (15:00 GMT) at SuperSport Park, Centurion
• Game 4: Friday 15 November at 5pm (15:00 GMT) at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

India vs South Africa: T20 head-to-head record

The 27 T20 meetings between the two teams were almost evenly matched, with India winning 15 games – including the World Cup final – and South Africa winning 11. One game ended with “no result” due to an elimination.

Both teams won one game each when the Proteas last hosted India in a bilateral T20 series in December.

Form guide: South Africa

The hosts’ T20 fortunes have taken a hit since the final defeat in Barbados on June 29 as they have won just one of their five T20 internationals.

Last five results: LWLLL

Form Guide: India

The world champions are on a 10-match winning streak in the T20 format, with a shock defeat to Zimbabwe in July the only blemish on their 23-match tally in 2024.

Last five results: WWWWW

How can I watch the South Africa vs India T20 series?

Al Jazeera’s live text and photo coverage of each game begins three hours before kick-off. Game 1 can be watched here.

Team news: South Africa

Markram continues to lead the side as it looks to rebuild ahead of the next T20 World Cup without swashbuckling top-batter wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, who hung up his boots in June.

Fast bowling duo Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen have returned to the squad after injury layoffs. Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj and David Miller are also back, but Kagiso Rabada was rested.

24-year-old all-rounder Mihlali Mpongwana has received his first call-up.

The Proteas have plenty of power hitters including Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen and Tristan Stubbs.

Squad: Aiden Markram (captain), Reeza Hendricks, Ryan Rickelton (wicketkeeper), Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Mihlali Mpongwana, Nqaba Peter, Andile Simelane, Lutho Sipamla, Tristan Stubbs

Team News: India

India will give debuts to batsman Ramandeep Singh and pacers Vijaykumar Vyshak and Yash Dayal.

Three players – Riyan Parag, Mayank Yadav and Shivam Dube – who featured in the home T20 series against Bangladesh are out due to injury.

Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan , Yash Dayal.