India and South Africa lock in for the 2nd T20I series on December 11
The Indians won the series opener by 101 runs
Check the pitch report and weather forecast
After desolating South Africa in the 1st T20I, India will be aiming to double their lead in the 5-match series with a win the 2nd match which takes place on Thursday (December 11) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.
It will be a home coming for certain Indian players like Arshdeep Singh, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma among others. Having said that, the players will look to put up an even better performance.
This series is a very important one in the build-up to the ICC T20 World Cup next year in India and Sri Lanka. The Indians will play 9 more matches in the shortest format before welcoming the United States in the World T20 opener on February 7.
After this 5-match series against South Africa, the Men in Blue will welcome New Zealand for another set of 5 T20I matches in January.
The first match in their build-up to the World Cup, two days ago in Cuttack, proved successful as India registered an one-sided victory by 101 runs.
After losing yet another toss, India posted 175 largely through the efforts from the middle-order with Hardik Pandya smashing 59 off just 28.
In the 2nd innings, the Proteas were folded for just 74 runs, thanks to a formidable bowling performance. Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel took two wickets each.
Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube scalped a piece each.
India Vs South Africa 1st T20I: Mullanpur Weather Forecast
It will be a clear evening at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in Mullanpur, but it is going to be freezing cold as the temperature is set to drop down to 7 degree Celsius.
Wind gusts will be at 11 km/h and there are very minimal chances of dew setting in.
India Vs South Africa 1st T20I: PCA New Stadium Pitch Report
The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur generally offers a balanced pitch favoring stroke play. Its surface, featuring red soil and grass, is known for good bounce early on, which pacers can exploit.
Spinners become more effective as the game progresses. An average first-innings T20 score is around 170-175, suggesting competitive totals.
India Vs South Africa 1st T20I: IND Squad
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC)*, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar
