INS vs SA, 4th T20I: India aims for series victory against South Africa in Lucknow

It was that time of the year when cricketers across the world were glued to the screens, waiting with bated breath to know whether they hit the jackpot. Amid all the attention on the IPL mini-auction in Abu Dhabi, there were far more pressing matters at hand for India and South Africa. 

The Men in Blue, up 2-1, are looking to seal their eighth consecutive T20 international series victory when they take on the Proteas in the fourth T20 international at the Ekana Stadium here on Wednesday. 

Suryakumar Yadav’s men bounced back strongly in the previous outing in Dharamshala with a comprehensive seven-wicket win to edge ahead in the five-match contest.

At the same time, the first three matches have shown that one can’t read too much into the form guide in the fickle world of T20 cricket, where one fine spell of bowling or a cameo batting effort can flip the outcome quickly.

ALSO READ | Who is Kartik Sharma, the Rajasthan keeper-batter bought by Chennai Super Kings at IPL 2026 Auction?

In the first two games in Cuttack and New Chandigarh, India and South Africa alternated between posting competitive totals and defending them easily. 

For the hosts, there were quite a few positives to take from the last win. The bowlers who were sent on a leather hunt in the second encounter got their bearings right, especially Arshdeep Singh, to restrict the visitors to a paltry total.

Harshit Rana, who replaced Jasprit Bumrah, hit the ground running, giving early breakthroughs while Varun Chakaravarthy continued to bamboozle batters. 

Shivam Dube’s tight spell would have warmed the hearts of the management. If the all-rounder can chip in a few overs consistently, it will give the squad more depth and flexibility ahead of the T20 World Cup.

But concern persists over Suryakumar and Shubman Gill’s meagre returns. The skipper hasn’t scored a half-century in his last 21 visits to the crease, while that number is 18 for Gill.

The vice-captain, who made a comeback into the T20 set-up ahead of the Asia Cup, needs to strike form sooner rather than later, with Sanju Samson waiting in the wings. The Kerala wicketkeeper batter, who had three centuries as an opener last year, was shunted down the order to accommodate Gill and has been forced onto the sidelines despite reasonable performances in the middle-order as well. 

Meanwhile, Aiden Markram’s men also have quite a few headaches to solve with their batting unit. In both defeats, the team lost half its line-up, with the score reading 50 and 44, from which it could never recover. 

If not for Markram’s fighting half-century in Dharamsala, South Africa might have been bundled out for less than 100 for the second time in the series.  

Considering the pitch here at the Ekana Stadium could be two-paced, bringing the spinners into the equation, the South African middle-order needs to find a way to tackle this challenge if it hopes to push the series into a decider.

Published on Dec 16, 2025