South Africa delivered a clinical performance to defeat India by 51 runs in the second T20I at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Thursday, levelling the five-match series 1-1. Batting first after losing the toss, the Proteas posted a formidable 213/4 in 20 overs, powered by Quinton de Kock’s explosive 90 off 46 balls. India crumbled in the chase, bowled out for 162 in 19.1 overs, with Tilak Varma’s fighting 62 off 34 balls the only notable resistance.
De Kock prefers India
De Kock powered South Africa’s innings with his 18th fifty-plus score in T20Is. The left-hander surpassed 2,700 runs in the format (now 2,705 from 98 matches at an average of over 30). Against India, this was his fifth fifty-plus score in just 13 matches, accumulating 441 runs at an average above 44 and a strike rate of 146.51. Notably, De Kock now jointly holds the most fifty-plus scores against India in T20Is with Nicholas Pooran and Jos Buttler (all five). However, he achieved this milestone in fewer innings (12), compared to Pooran (20) and Buttler (24).
Baartman leads loot by pacers
Ottniel Baartman emerged the bowling hero, claiming 4/24 in four overs, his second four-wicket haul in T20Is. In 15 T20I appearances, Baartman now has 21 wickets at an average of 19.14. Across all T20s, his 100 matches have yielded 136 wickets at 18.20, with this marking his sixth four-for.
South Africa’s pacers dominated, taking all 10 Indian wickets, a first in their T20I history. Lungi Ngidi supported with 2/26 in 3.1 overs, including Shubman Gill’s wicket in the first over, pushing his career T20 wickets tally to 198 in 153 matches (average 21.21), including 76 for South Africa in 54 games.
India’s innings folded spectacularly against fast bowling, losing all 10 wickets to the pacers, the most in a T20I innings for them. This was also India’s second-heaviest defeat, and largest at home, by runs in T20Is (51 runs), behind an 80-run loss to New Zealand in 2019.
Gill, SKY continue to flop
The chase began disastrously with Gill registering a golden duck off Ngidi, his second in T20Is. It was his sixth T20 duck. Captain Suryakumar Yadav continued his lean 2025 form, scoring just 5 off 4 balls. In 19 T20Is this year (17 innings), SKY has 201 runs at 14.35 with a strike rate of 126.41, including eight single-digit dismissals. In the last 20 T20Is, Suryakumar has managed just 227 runs at 13.35 with a strike rate of 119.47.
Arshdeep’s marathon over
Arshdeep Singh endured a nightmare 11th over, bowling 13 deliveries, including seven wides and conceding 18 runs…sequence: 6, wd, wd, 0, wd, wd, wd, wd, 1, 2, 1, wd, 1. This tied the record for most balls in an over among Full Member teams — with Afghanistan’s Naveen-ul-Haq vs Zimbabwe, 2024. Previous highs include 12 balls by South Africa’s Sisanda Magala versus Pakistan in 2021.
A South African feat
South Africa’s win marked their 13th victory against India in T20Is (from 33 matches), the most by any team:
South Africa: 13 wins
Australia: 12 (37 matches)
England: 12 (29 matches)
New Zealand/West Indies: 10 each
Winless in 210-plus chase
India remain winless chasing 210-plus in T20Is (0-7). This was also their first loss in 14 T20Is featuring both Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep in the XI.
The series now moves to Dharamsala for the third T20I on December 14, with momentum swinging back to the Proteas after their comprehensive bounce-back.
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