Varun Chakaravarthy of India celebrates the wicket with players during the 5th T20I match between India and South Africa at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, India on December 19, 2025. (CREIMAS for BCCI)
Varun Chakaravarthy starred with 4 wickets as India defeated South Africa by 30 runs to clinch the 5-matchseries 3-1. As long as Quinton de Kock and Dewald Brevis were there, South Africa looked to be cruise control but as soon as the two departed, wickets fell at a premium and the Proteas lost their way in the run chase.
Earlier, Hardik Pandya (63) hit the second fastest T20I fifty for India while Tilak Varma produced a fluent 73 to help the hosts set a imposing 232-run target in their fifth and final contest against South Africa.
In a whirlwind knock laden with five sixes and as many fours, Pandya’s seventh half-century (63 off 25 balls) came off only 16 balls — now the second-fastest ever for any Indian with Yuvraj Singh’s 12-ball milestone against England at Kingsmead back in 2007, still perched firmly at the top.
He put on 105 off only 44 balls in a brilliant fourth wicket partnership with Tilak just when the momentum had slowed down for India. If Pandya produced a minute-a-mile knock, Tilak once again showed his repertoire of strokes around the ground making 73 off 42 balls with 10 fours and a six.
Pandya walked out amidst chants of his name at his former IPL home ground as out-of-sorts India captain Suryakumar Yadav (5) endured yet another failure.
It was Pandya’s brute force in the strokes that he played which stood out, sending the ball flying far into the stands of the world’s largest stadium.
At the other end, Tilak provided the assurance with a second half-century of the series, mixing up aggression and rotation of strike deftly after Abhishek Sharma (34) and Sanju Samson (37) provided early fireworks.
Samson dazzled on what is now a rare opportunity to open with India vice-captain Shubman Gill sidelined due to an injury, and almost made a strong case for a discussion for the World Cup selection in Mumbai on Saturday.
However, as ever has been the case, Samson made all the right moves until he was done in by a beautiful George Linde delivery that pitched on leg stump and gripping before beating Samson’s bat to crash into the middle stump.
He began with a six over wide long on against Marco Jansen and followed it with two spectacular hits down the wicket off Ottneil Baartman to make a strong statement at the top of the order.
While putting on 63 runs for the first wicket, neither Abhishek nor Samson took the foot off the pedal and provided a glimpse of another possible successful pair tailor made for the format.
Shortly before he was dismissed, Samson also got a lifeline when a powerful hit straight back to the bowler Donovan Ferreira burst through his hands and hit the umpire, Rohan Pandit, near the knee roll. Later, even Pandya’s six injured a broadcast crew, who got a big bruise on his left bicep even as spectators enjoyed balls landing 10 rows behind .
