IND vs SA Live Score, 2nd T20I: South Africa (70/1 in 8 ovs), De Kock-Markram take charge

Quinton de Kock is in form and he has kept things under control from one end as Aiden Markram struggles to hit it big. At the moment, Indian spinners are on top but it won't last long with the dew already coming in.

South Africa score 53/1 in the powerplay with Aiden Markram joining Quinton De Kock in the middle. Varun Chakaravarthy cleaned up Reeza Hendricks after his initial struggles. But De Kock responded in style.

Varun Chakaravarthy, came, saw and conquered Reeza Hendricks. Just when it seemed Hendricks was getting into the groove, he was bamboozled by Varun. South Africa lose their first wicket for 38.

Reeza Hendricks finally opens his stance and goes for a quick pull shot against Jasprit Bumrah for a six. An excellent shot after scoring just 1 off 7 balls. Quinton de Kock ends the over with another six to make it a 16-run over.

Arshdeep Singh concedes the second six of the match, and it's Quinton de Kock who hammers Arshdeep Singh over square leg. Reeza Hendricks opens his account in the third over.

Just two runs off Jasprit Bumrah's first over, including one coming in as a leg-bye. Good powerplay so far for India.

Quinton de Kock goes the aerial route and he gets his first six of the match against Arshdeep Singh. South Africa 8/0 after first over.

Early chance of a run-out goes down. Reeza Hendricks was in trouble if there was a direct hit after a call from Quinton De Kock. But he survived.

With India going unchanged, there is no place for Sanju Samson or Kuldeep Yadav in the Playing XI. 

1. Abhishek Sharma
2. Shubman Gill
3. Suryakumar Yadav (C)
4. Tilak Varma
5. Axar Patel
6. Hardik Pandya
7. Shivam Dube
8. Jitesh Sharma (WK)
9. Jasprit Bumrah
10. Varun Chakaravarthy
11. Arshdeep Singh

Against the norm, mostly, an India captain has won the toss. Suryakumar Yadav has opted to bowl first with the dew coming in. South Africa bat first in Mullanpur in their first match at this venue. India will eye a 2-0 lead.

The super guest of the match, Yuvraj Singh, addresses the team huddle. The two-time World Cup champion is also the mentor to Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.

• TV Telecast: Star Sports Network (India)
• Live Streaming: JioHotstar app and website.
• SuperSport (South Africa) for international viewers. 

The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur hosts its first men's T20I, drawing from 11 IPL 2025 games where teams batting first won six times. The red-soil pitch offers balanced conditions: early bounce and carry for pacers (average first-innings score ~170-175), transitioning to grip for spinners as it slows. A quick outfield aids boundaries, but dew could make the second innings easier. Chasing sides won five IPL matches at this venue. Expect a competitive surface favouring strokeplay once set, with haze and cold (9-23°C) potentially challenging fielding.

Fresh off a clinical demolition in Cuttack, where India's bowlers, led by Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah's twin hauls, routed South Africa for their lowest T20I total, the hosts enter Mullanpur brimming with confidence. Hardik Pandya's return proved pivotal. His blistering unbeaten 59 off 28 balls bailed India out from a faltering top order that managed just 67/3 after 10 overs. Yet, concerns linger over Suryakumar Yadav's lean patch (average 15.07 in 16 T20Is this year) and Shubman Gill's form in T20Is. The vice-captain needs a big score in IND vs SA 2nd T20I to silence his critics.

South Africa, meanwhile, face an existential crisis in batting. Their collapse exposed frailties against spin (Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel claimed four wickets combined), and dew could again tilt the scales toward chasing. Dewald Brevis remains their X-factor, while Aiden Markram must rally a fightback.

This debut Men's international at Mullanpur is not an unknown venue, as it is the home ground of Punjab Kings. It has a balanced surface with red soil offering early bounce. India, unbeaten in four of the last five T20Is against the Proteas, are favorites. But South Africa's desperation could spark a revival. 

Mullanpur Stadium gets a Yuvraj Singh stand as the man himself and Gautam Gambhir inaugurate the stand.

Yuvraj Singh and Harmanpreet Kaur stand unveiled at New Chandigarh Stadium #INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/zUGY0kkOIA

— Bharat Sharma (@sharmabharat45) December 11, 2025

However, focus will be on Shubman Gill. His inclusion in the team seemed forced with Sanju Samson doing a good job as the opener. But as Gill is the vice captain, he has his place secured. Now, at his home ground in Mullanpur, he will need to get his T20I form back. In 2025, in 13 innings, he has failed to score a single fifty. He is averaging 26.30 and a strike rate of 143.71. Samson, who Gill replaced as the opener, had a worse 2025. In 10 innings, Samson averaged 18.50 with a strike rate of 120.91. However, since Gill's return, Samson was forced in a middle-order role and as a No 3 on two occasions.

It has been a short turnaround time for both teams with both teams travelling from Cuttack to Chandigarh on Wednesday. Both teams had no practice in Mullanpur and will have to get acclimatised to the conditions quickly.

India have exactly 9 T20Is left to prepare for the T20 World Cup. While the team is settled and has collectively performed excellently since the last T20 WC, there are still a few question marks. 

1. Captain Suryakumar Yadav's form
2. Vice-captain's struggles in T20Is
3. Sanju Samson or Jitesh Sharma: Who is the wicket-keeper in T20 WC?
4. Shivam Dube or Washington Sundar?

Since South Africa chased down 359 in the 2nd ODI, Team India have taken command. They demolished the Protas by 9 wickets in the 3rd ODI and then thrashed them by 101 runs in the 1st T20I. Now, the caravan moves to Chandigarh where India take on Aiden Markram-led South Africa in the 2nd T20I.