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Team India eventually clinched the five-match T20I series 3-1 with a 30-run win over South Africa in the fifth and final T20I at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, December 19.

After posting a total a solid total of 231/5, thanks to a 105-run stand between Hardik Pandya (63) and Tilak Varma (73), India's bowlers restricted the Proteas to 201/8 in 20 overs, despite a 65-run knock by Quinton de Kock. Varun Chakravarthy led the bowling attack with a spell of 4/53 in 4 overs, while Jasprit Bumrah picked two wickets and conceded just 17 runs in his quota of 4 overs.

On that note, let’s take a look at five key takeaways from India’s T20I series win over South Africa.

One of the major key takeaways from India’s T20I series win is the captain and vice-captain’s poor performance. Both had failed to deliver their best, raising questions about their form and leadership. Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill could not aggregate 50 runs throughout the series, let alone score a half-century, which became a worrying sign for Team India.

Suryakumar scored just 34 runs at an average of 8.50 and a strike rate of 103 in four matches. Gill, on the other hand, aggregated just 32 runs at an average of 10.67 in three matches as he was ruled out of the last two games of the series due to niggle. The poor performances of Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill have put pressure on the selectors and Team India management ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.

Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya made a brilliant comeback to the national side after a three-month layoff due to a quadriceps injury sustained ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan. Pandya had an outstanding series with the bat and a decent outing with the ball, as he played a crucial role in India’s success in the series by scoring crucial runs in the middle order and chipping in with timely wickets.

With the bat, Pandya has aggregated 142 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 71.00 and an impressive strike rate of 186.84 in four matches. With the ball, the all-rounder picked three wickets at an average of 38, proving his all-round value and match-winning impact for Team India.

Indian bowlers did well throughout the T20I series against South Africa by picking a total of 31 wickets across four matches, which is an average of nearly eight wickets per match. However, an area of concern in India’s bowling is the lapses in consistency, especially leaking runs in crucial junctures of the matches. In four matches, several Indian bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, went for runs, with the latter seven wides in an over in the Mullanpur T20I.

In the Mullanpur T20I, India’s pacers conceded 99 runs in just 8 overs, as they struggled for line and length and rhythm. In the fifth T20I, Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya, and Varun Chakravarthy conceded over 40 runs in their respective spells, highlighting India’s need for greater control and consistency with the ball ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson marked his comeback into the playing XI with his explosive performance at the top order. Samson made his way into the main team after Shubman Gill was ruled out of the series decider due to niggle. Samson played a brilliant knock of 37 off 22 balls, including 4 fours and 2 sixes, and formed a 63-run stand with his opening partner Abhishek Sharma.

Interestingly, Samson scored more runs than Shubman Gill throughout the series and ignited the debates of the opening slot in the T20 World Cup. Since Samson was demoted to the middle order to accommodate Gill at the top, and was eventually dropped from the playing XI due to inconsistency after a change in batting line-up. Given his explosive performance on his return to the playing XI, fans demanded the reinstatement of Samson as an opener in the T20 WC.

Throughout the series between India and South Africa, Tilak Varma was one of the standout batters, consistently delivering impactful knocks under pressure. Though the hype and excitement were around Abhishek Sharma due to his explosiveness in T20 cricket this year, Tilak stood out like a pillar of reliability in the top order, showcasing his composure, shot selection, and maturity beyond his years.

The southpaw has aggregated 187 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 62.33 and a strike rate of 131.69 in four matches. Tilak Varma was aggressive in his approach but played with controlled intent, anchoring the innings when required and playing a crucial role in India’s series victory.