3rd T20I: India Opt to Bowl as Unwell Axar, Bumrah Miss Clash Against South Africa

December 14, 2025

Dharamshala: India were dealt a double blow ahead of the third T20I against South Africa at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on Sunday, with Axar Patel ruled out due to illness and Jasprit Bumrah missing the match for personal reasons. Despite the absences, India won the toss and elected to bowl first. With the five-match series level at 1-1, the match holds added significance as the winner will take the lead.

Suryakumar Yadav Cites Dew Factor
Explaining the decision to bowl first, India captain Suryakumar Yadav said the pitch had played well throughout the weekend but dew was already visible and expected to increase later in the evening. He expressed confidence in the conditions and said Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav were included in the playing XI in place of Axar and Bumrah. Emphasising the importance of the contest, Suryakumar said India were focused on bouncing back strongly and playing fearless cricket.

South Africa Ring in Changes to Playing XI
South Africa captain Aiden Markram also made multiple changes to his side, bringing in Corbin Bosch, Anrich Nortje and Tristan Stubbs in place of David Miller, George Linde and Lutho Sipamla. Markram described Dharamshala as a cold but beautiful venue and said his team was excited to perform well despite the challenging conditions.

Playing XIs

India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy

South Africa: Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram (captain), Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman