India will look to seal the T20I series when they face South Africa in the fourth match on Wednesday, December 17, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. With the hosts leading the series and momentum on their side, the focus will be on continuity rather than experimentation, especially with key players still unavailable. With the T20 World Cup 2026 just 7 games away, Gautam Gambhir should steer away from unorthodox experiments anyway.
Is Jasprit Bumrah available?
India were compelled to tweak their XI in the third T20I at Dharamsala after Jasprit Bumrah headed home due to a medical emergency involving a close family member. Axar Patel was also ruled out of the remainder of the series after falling ill. The management responded by drafting in Kuldeep Yadav and Harshit Rana, a move that paid immediate dividends.
With no official confirmation of Bumrah’s return and Axar already excluded, India are expected to stick with the same combination in Lucknow. While Shivam Dube said that Bumrah is available, he wasn’t sure enough. Conditions may be slightly less extreme than Dharamsala, but the winter chill and dew are likely to again influence team selection, making seamers and wrist spinners valuable assets.
Harshit Rana grabs his moment
Among the changes, Harshit Rana stood out in Dharamsala. The tall right-arm pacer delivered a superb new-ball spell, conceding just 16 runs in his first three overs while removing Quinton de Kock and Dewald Brevis inside the powerplay. His ability to extract movement both in the air and off the pitch complemented Arshdeep Singh perfectly and ensured Bumrah’s absence was barely felt.
Rana’s confidence appears to be growing with every outing. After impressing on the Australia tour, he carried that form into the South Africa series, troubling batters with pace, bounce and subtle swing. With India keen to build depth in fast-bowling resources ahead of the T20 World Cup, another opportunity in Lucknow seems inevitable.
India’s batting unit is also expected to remain unchanged despite the ongoing debate around Sanju Samson’s absence. The management has shown faith in the current out-of-form top and middle order, and a series-clinching game is unlikely to trigger drastic calls. South Africa, meanwhile, face a must-win scenario and could bring in David Miller to strengthen their middle order. India, however, appear settled and in control.
India Probable Playing XI (4th T20I)
Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy
On Bench: Sanju Samson, Shahbaz Ahmed, Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar
