India cricket team could make a couple of changes to their playing XI for the fifth and final IND vs SA T20I which will take place on Friday at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. The 4th T20I in Lucknow was abandoned due to excessive fog, allowing India to extend their unbeaten streak in T20Is to 11 series. With uncertainty over the availability of Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah for the IND vs SA 5th T20I, Suryakumar Yadav could very well give a couple of benched stars an opportunity.
Predicted India playing XI for IND vs SA 5th T20I
Abhishek Sharma
Sanju Samson
Tilak Varma
Suryakumar Yadav (C)
Hardik Pandya
Shivam Dube
Jitesh Sharma (WK)
Harshit Rana
Arshdeep Singh
Kuldeep Yadav
Varun Chakravarthy
On bench: Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Shahbaz Ahmed
Vice-captain Gill was ruled out of the IND vs SA 4th T20I due to a foot injury. This comes as a setback for the top-order batter, who only recewntly returned to action after suffering a neck injury during the 1st Test at Eden Gardens. With just a one-day gap between the 4th and the 5th T20I, the chances of Gill featuring in the game is quite low.
Gill’s absence will allow Sanju Samson to make it to the playing XI. Most importantly, he will be able to return to his role as an opener – a position in which he has tasted most success in T20is. Samson has only warmed the bench so far in this series. Some game time in IND vs SA 5th T20I will give the keeper-batter a much-needed confidence boost ahead of the series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup 2026.
Meanwhile, there is also uncertainty on the availability of Bumrah for the contest. He missed the 3rd T20I due to personal reasons while there was no word on his availability for the 4th T20I. However, in the absence of Bumrah, Arshdeep and Rana did well to spearhead the Indian pace attack along with Dube and Pandya. Therefore, it won’t come as a surprise if India decide to stick with the same combination in Ahmedabad.
India squad for IND vs SA 5th T20I
Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma(w), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Shahbaz Ahmed, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah
