Everyone’s wondering about the IND vs SA 1st T20 Playing 11 choices right now. December 9, 2025, is when this battle starts at Cuttack, and fans can’t wait. India bounced back from that 0-2 Test loss by winning the ODI series 2-1. This 1st T20 series basically helps both teams prep for the T20 World Cup 2026.
What the IND vs SA Playing 11 Might Look Like
India’s probably going with the same Playing 11 they used against Australia last month. Abhishek Sharma will open and go after bowlers from the first ball itself. His aggressive style sets the tone for the entire innings when he connects properly.
Hardik Pandya’s coming back is huge because the Playing 11 gets another genuine all-rounder option. Bumrah and Chakaravarthy together could wreck South Africa’s batting in this 1st T20 honestly. Shubman Gill is fit again and will be the vice-captain for India in 2025 going forward.
Sanju Samson might keep wickets since he’s done well whenever he’s played before. South Africa’s Playing 11 has Aiden Markram leading them with de Kock and Miller there. Miller has won them so many close games over the years with his finishing ability.
India’s Possible Playing XI
Abhishek Sharma
Shubman Gill
Suryakumar Yadav
Tilak Varma
Sanju Samson
Hardik Pandya
Axar Patel
Kuldeep Yadav
Jasprit Bumrah
Arshdeep Singh
Varun Chakravarthy
South Africa’s Possible Playing XI
Aiden Markram
Quinton de Kock
Reeza Hendricks
Tristan Stubbs
David Miller
Dewald Brevis
Corbin Bosch
Marco Jansen
Anrich Nortje
Lungi Ngidi
Keshav Maharaj
Time and Venue Details for the Clash
Barabati Stadium, Cuttack will start the IND vs SA series face-off for this opening match in 2025. Toss is at 6:30 PM IST. Match will kick off at 7:00 PM. That’s ideal timing for people watching after they finish work or college.
How You Can Watch IND vs SA
Star Sports will show the entire 1st T20 live on TV for everyone. JioHotstar has the streaming if you’d rather watch on your phone or laptop instead. India has beaten South Africa 18 times out of 31 T20 meetings they’ve had before. Still, South Africa is dangerous in 2025 and won’t go down easily at all here.
