Round 5 of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 saw two of the prominent India stars deliver a standout performance ahead of the IND vs SA T20I series. The five-match series, which marks the second last before the T20 World Cup 2026, will commence from December 9 onwards. Ahead of the series, Hardik Pandya and Sanju Samson have proved their worth yet again, with bat and ball respectively.
Hardik, Samson get back to form before IND vs SA T20Is
Hardik finished with figures of 1/16 from his 4 overs in the contest between Baroda and Gujarat, maintaining an economy rate of just 4. He conceded just 3 boundaries in his four-over spell. After a sub-par performance with the ball in the game against Punjab, the all-rounder found his golden touch again in the right time, which is a very good news for India ahead of the IND vs SA T20Is.
Meanwhile, Sanju Samson – who has been impressive with the bat in the ongoing SMAT 2025 tournament – played yet another valuable knock at the top of the order. The Kerala opener scored 46 runs off 28 deliveries, studded with 8 fours and one six in the game against Mumbai on Thursday. While it is highly unlikely that Sanju will open the innings for India in the T20Is vs SA, he once again has proved his worth at the top of the order. Should Shubman Gill get a fitness clearance and return to action in the series against the Proteas, then Samson has no option but to bat at an unfamiliar position in the middle-order.
India squad for IND vs SA T20I series
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
