India eye series win as concerns grow over SKY and Gill ahead of T20 World Cup

India will look to wrap up their T20I series against South Africa on a high note when the two sides face off in the fifth and final match at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday. After a tough tour that began with a 0-2 Test series loss, India bounced back to win the ODI series and currently hold an unassailable 2-1 lead in the T20Is, with the fourth game abandoned due to poor weather in Lucknow.

While the series result is already in India’s favour, head coach Gautam Gambhir and the team management face pressing questions ahead of the T20 World Cup, particularly regarding the form and fitness of captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill.

Suryakumar, who was once ranked the world No.1 T20 batter, has struggled this year in the format. Across 20 matches and 18 innings, he has failed to score a half-century, accumulating just 213 runs at an average of 14.20. Each poor performance has added pressure on the team as they prepare for the global tournament.

Shubman Gill’s situation is equally concerning. The vice-captain suffered a toe injury before the fourth T20I, ruling him out of the final game. His return to the T20 setup was meant to strengthen India’s top order, but inconsistent form and injuries have limited his impact. Gill had earlier missed most of the two-Test series due to a neck injury, highlighting the challenges of his busy schedule across formats.

In Gill’s absence, Sanju Samson is expected to take the top-order slot. While Samson has traditionally batted in the middle order, his best performances in T20Is have come at the top of the innings, including three centuries and a half-century in 14 innings. The Kerala wicketkeeper-batter will look to make an impact in a crucial opportunity.

India’s squad otherwise remains settled. All-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube have featured consistently in the series, while pacer Arshdeep Singh is forming a promising partnership with Harshit Rana. Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the third T20I due to personal reasons, has rejoined the squad ahead of the final match. Off-spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been India’s standout bowler, claiming six wickets in the series, although a batting-friendly pitch in Ahmedabad could test his skills.

South Africa, meanwhile, will aim to end the tour on a positive note by salvaging pride with a strong performance. The Proteas’ batting has been inconsistent, and selectors may consider bringing Aiden Markram back to the top order in place of Reeza Hendricks, who has struggled to find form. Young batter Dewald Brevis will also be expected to step up after modest returns in the series so far.

With the absence of big knocks from Marco Jansen, South Africa will rely on bowlers Lungi Ngidi and Ottneil Baartman, who have done well in containing India’s batting. The visitors will look to give India a tough fight, but with India’s balanced lineup and series lead, the hosts enter the final T20I as favourites.

Teams:

India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Sanju Samson (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Shahbaz Ahmed, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.

South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Corbin Bosch, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Ottneil Baartman, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Lutho Sipamla.

Match starts: 7:00 PM IST.