IND vs SA 3rd T20I: Clinical India regains lead with a thumping win

Shubhman Gill

Arshdeep and Harshit set the tone with early strikes; Hardik, Varun, Dube and Kuldeep, too, chip in; Markram top-scores with a fighting 61; Abhishek makes short work of the chase

India turned up the heat on a chilly Dharamshala night to flatten South Africa by seven wickets in the third T20I in Dharamsala on Sunday (December 14, 2025). The win, set up by an exceptional bowling performance, gave India a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

The caravan now rolls onto Lucknow. It won't be as cold there but will still be quite nippy. Thanks for joining us as we leave you with a teaser from our final report on a night that India took a 2-1 lead.

India reclaimed the series lead by bowling South Africa out for 117 in seam-friendly conditions in Dharamsala. Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, playing in absence of Jasprit Bumrah who was on leave for personal reasons, set the tone with three early wickets, and the support bowlers never let up. Aiden Markram kept South Africa in the fight with a half-century but they were at least 20 short of what could have been a fighting total keeping in mind their strong seam attack. Once Abhishek Sharma scored 35 off 18, India could afford a wobble in the rest of the chase.Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube cashed in on the conditions with a wicket each in their first overs, but it was Varun Chakravarthy’s four overs for 11 runs and two wickets that denied South Africa any chance of creeping back into the match. One of his victims was Donovon Ferreira, the only other recognised batter to reach double digits.