South Africa Opt to Bowl as India Begin 2026 T20 World Cup Build-up in Cuttack Opener

Cuttack, Dec 2025 : The five-match T20I series between India and South Africa began on an exciting note at the Barabati Stadium, where Proteas captain Aiden Markram won the toss and elected to bowl first. With both teams beginning their preparations for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the series opener carried added significance, setting the stage for experimentation, strategy testing and crucial player assessments.

India enter the contest with confidence, having recently defeated Australia in their previous T20I assignment. Their squad received a major lift with the return of Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya, both back in action after recovering from injuries. South Africa, on the other hand, look to regroup and regain momentum after losing the ODI series to India 2-1. The T20Is give them another opportunity to realign their plans and fine-tune their combinations.

Adding a fresh twist to the cricketing contest is the pitch itself. For the first time in the history of the Barabati Stadium, a red-soil wicket has been prepared for a T20I. While its behaviour remains uncertain, India see these conditions as ideal preparation for the upcoming World Cup, where varied and challenging surfaces are expected.

After winning the toss, South African captain Markram explained his decision to bowl first, citing the presence of dew and its potential impact. “We’re going to bowl first. Expecting good conditions here. There’s quite a bit of dew around and it might get worse later. A lot of this game is played in the mind. We need to be in the right frame,” he said.

Markram added that the series offered a valuable opportunity to build towards the World Cup. “You can’t simulate these conditions back home. Playing against one of the best sides in the world is great preparation. We’ve still got a few months after this to fine-tune things.”

India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav, however, appeared unfazed by being put into bat. He said the team welcomed the challenge of setting a target. “We were confused looking at the wicket. Yesterday it looked greener, today it looked different. But it’s okay—we’re happy to bat first. It gives us a chance to put runs on the board and defend,” he said.

Addressing concerns about dew, Suryakumar remained pragmatic. “Dew has been a factor for a long time. If we keep thinking about it, our main job will be in trouble. So let’s take it as a challenge.”

The Indian skipper highlighted the value of the upcoming fixtures, saying the stretch of 15 T20Is against South Africa and New Zealand would serve as ideal preparation for the 2026 World Cup. “Same plan—be fearless, enjoy the game and stay in it for the next three hours,” he added. On team selection, he noted that Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana were the players sitting out the series opener.

Playing XIs

India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh.

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