Gill flops again, SKY’s slump deepens as SA thrash India by 51 runs to level T20I series

Shubman Gill squandered yet another golden opportunity to justify his selection ahead of an in-form Sanju Samson, while India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav’s struggles deepened as the visitors slipped to a 51-run defeat in the second T20I against South Africa on a chilly Thursday evening at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh.

Samson, who had enjoyed a prolific run at the top of the order before Gill’s inclusion and subsequent elevation as T20I vice-captain, was once again overlooked for the Playing XI, a decision that has raised fresh questions over head coach Gautam Gambhir’s selection approach.

Advertisement

Returning to familiar conditions in his first home appearance since being appointed India’s Test and ODI captain, Gill failed to make any impact. Chasing a daunting 214, he endured a nightmarish start, falling for a first-ball duck off the fifth delivery of the innings.

His early exit left added responsibility on Suryakumar (5), who is racing against time to rediscover form ahead of India’s title defence at the 2026 T20 World Cup. The skipper’s lean patch continued with yet another single-digit score, intensifying concerns within the team management with the marquee ICC event looming from February 7.

Abhishek Sharma (17) and Axar Patel (21) also failed to convert their starts, leaving the rebuilding to Tilak Varma (62) and Hardik Pandya, who took India to 81/4 at the midway stage. Tilak, arriving at 32/3 inside the powerplay, counterattacked with a brisk 27-ball fifty and steadied the innings through a 51-run fifth-wicket stand with Hardik, who became the third Indian batter to waste a start after departing for a 23-ball 20. Jitesh Sharma followed soon after, falling for a 17-ball 27.

Despite Tilak’s lone resistance, India’s chase unravelled under the weight of regular wickets, eventually sealing a disappointing defeat. For the Proteas, Ottneil Baartman was the pick of the bowlers, returning impressive figures of 4/24.

Earlier, South Africa rode on Quinton de Kock’s blistering 90 off just 46 balls to pile up a massive 213/4. After being put in to bat, de Kock dominated early, punishing India’s pacers, particularly Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah, with clean strikes on both sides of the wicket. Along with Aiden Markram, the stumper put on a crucial 83-run stand for the second wicket, laying the foundation for a formidable total.

Varun Chakravarthy gave India their first breakthrough by bowling out Reeza Hendricks, extending his remarkable head-to-head advantage over the opener. Despite the dismissal, de Kock kept South Africa’s momentum intact, reaching a 26-ball half-century and continuing to target Axar, Hardik and an inconsistent Arshdeep, who struggled to grip the ball and bowled nine wides under heavy dew.

Markram eventually found rhythm by taking on Chakravarthy but fell soon after for a well-made 38, attempting one big shot too many. De Kock’s innings ended on 90 when a delicate dab went wrong, with wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma showing sharp reflexes to complete a tricky stumping.

India clawed back briefly, with Axar removing Dewald Brevis through a miscued pull, but the visitors regained control in the death overs as David Miller (20) and Donovan Ferreira (30) added an unbeaten 53 off 25 balls. Their late acceleration, featuring six boundaries in the final overs, helped propel South Africa beyond 210.

Stands named after Yuvraj and Harmanpreet inaugurated

Earlier, two stands named after World Cup champions Yuvraj Singh and Harmanpreet Kaur were officially unveiled ahead of the game. The inauguration was led by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and PCA President Amarjit Mehta, with BCCI President Mithun Manhas and Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria in attendance as well.

Brief Scores: South Africa 213/4 (Quinton de Kock 90, Donovan Ferreira 30, Aiden Markram 29; Varun Chakravarthy 2/29) beat India 162 all out (Tilak Varma 62, Jitesh Sharma 27; Ottneil Baartman 4/24, Lungi Ngidi 2/26) by 51 runs.