Last Updated on 4 months ago by Charbel Coorey

New Chandigarh will host its first men’s international as India look to take a 2-0 lead over South Africa in the T20I series.

If you had stopped watching the opening T20I after the first powerplay, you may have assumed the match would be a close one or end South Africa’s way. India stumbled to 40/2 after six overs, and with dew expected in the second innings, they needed a big push.

That’s the way it prevailed. Hardik Pandya marked his return to international cricket in style, hammering a 28-ball 59* on a tricky surface to give India a strong total on a ground where 140 was the average score. He exemplified the all-round class he brings to this Indian team, and their depth only improves as a result.

If South Africa are to level the series, they will have to be near perfect. They picked regular wickets at Cuttack, but struggles at the death meant they were chasing an above-par total. With momentum on India’s side, South Africa were blown away for 74 against a fine Indian attack. Can they bounce back? A big challenge awaits.

IND vs SA 2nd T20 2025 Possible Playing XIs

India will likely stick with the same XI that won the first T20I, according to ESPNcricinfo. Axar Patel can bat up the order again depending on the situation.

India: 1. Abhishek Sharma, 2. Shubman Gill, 3. Suryakumar Yadav (c), 4. Tilak Varma, 5. Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6. Hardik Pandya, 7. Shivam Dube, 8. Axar Patel, 9. Arshdeep Singh, 10. Varun Chakravarthy, 11. Jasprit Bumrah

South Africa could consider bringing in one or both of Corbin Bosch and George Linde.

South Africa: 1. Quinton de Kock (wk), 2. Aiden Markram (c), 3. Tristan Stubbs, 4. Dewald Brevis, 5. David Miller, 6. Donovon Ferreira, 7. Marco Jansen, 8. Lutho Sipamla/Corbin Bosch, 9. Keshav Maharaj/George Linde, 10. Lungi Ngidi, 11. Anrich Nortje.

Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium Mullanpur New Chandigarh Pitch Report and Weather

This is the first men’s international on this ground. However, there have been 11 IPL matches and teams batting first have fared pretty well, winning six times. According to ESPNcricinfo, dew doesn’t play too much of a factor with no high stands.

In these matches, pace bowlers have taken 98 wickets at an average of 25.63 and economy of 9.22. Spinners fare better in terms of average/economy with 47 wickets at 21.55/7.48.

A clear and cool evening is forecast.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for IND vs SA 2nd T20 2025: Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Top wicket-keeper picks:

• Quinton de Kock missed out in the first T20I, but he remains the safest wicket-keeping pick as he opens the batting. Getting through his poor matchup against Arshdeep is key as de Kock has four fifties in 11 innings against India (351 runs, avg. 39.00, SR 137.64).

Key batter picks:

• Abhishek Sharma looked in promising touch in Cuttack as he was starved of strike in the powerplay. He remains an excellent captaincy option in Dream11 as he is India’s top run-scorer in T20Is this year (773) at a strike rate of 194.71.
• Like Abhishek, Dewald Brevis has had a fine year in T20Is. He is South Africa’s top scorer in 2025 with 417 at a strike rate of 182.09. He was the only Proteas player to cross 20 in the first match before he was unlucky to be dismissed off a very tight no ball call against Jasprit Bumrah.

Top all-rounder picks:

• Hardik Pandya is a must-pick in Dream11 given the value he provides with bat and ball. He has 290 runs (avg. 41.42, SR 133.02) and 12 wickets (avg. 32.08, SR 22.05) in T20Is against South Africa.
• Marco Jansen is a player who can help turn things around for South Africa. He was threatening in the powerplay at Cuttack and is capable of picking up wickets in the crunch overs. He can also contribute with the bat.
• Axar Patel can bat higher up the order if needed and he is a good option with the ball against South Africa’s plethora of right-handers.

Key bowler picks:

• Arshdeep Singh has 47 powerplay wickets, the equal-most of any Indian bowler in T20Is. His outstanding record against Quinton de Kock continued, having dismissed him for the fifth time in 41 balls in all T20s (38 runs).
• Jasprit Bumrah looked in excellent touch in the first T20I. He is a threat in all three stages of an innings. Bumrah has dismissed David Miller twice in 43 balls in all T20s, conceding just 49 in the process.
• Varun Chakravarthy has wonderful numbers against South Africa in T20Is, with 14 wickets in five innings (avg. 11.21, SR 8.14).
• Lungi Ngidi was excellent in the opening T20I (3/33). He can swing the ball in the powerplay and pick up wickets with changes of pace at the death. Ngidi strikes every nine balls on average in six T20Is against India (13 wickets).

Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Suryakumar Yadav has five 50+ scores in 11 innings against South Africa. However, the captain is averaging just 15.07 in T20Is this year.
• David Miller has the most runs in IND-SA T20Is (535) at an average of 32.81 and strike rate of 146.23.
• Tilak Varma has two centuries in seven innings against South Africa.
• Aiden Markram averages 21.50 as skipper in T20Is (32 matches) compared to 38.50 when he’s not captain (31 matches). Can he improve on these numbers today?
• If selected, Corbin Bosch can prove to be a solid Dream11 pick as he bowls in the crunch overs. He took seven wickets in three T20Is in Pakistan last month.
• Can Shubman Gill find his best form? Lungi Ngidi has dismissed Gill twice in 24 balls in internationals, including in the first T20I.

Other Stats and Important Matchups

• India have won six of the past eight T20Is against South Africa.
• Since the 2024 T20 World Cup Final, India have a 27-4 record in T20Is. South Africa, on the other hand, have a 9-17 record.
• Hardik Pandya is one wicket away from becoming the first seamer to achieve the 1,000 runs and 100 wickets double in T20Is.
• Arshdeep Singh has 11 wickets in 10 innings in T20s on this ground.
• Marco Jansen vs Hardik Pandya in T20Is: 21 balls, 36 runs, no wickets.
• Arshdeep Singh vs Quinton de Kock in T20Is: 21 balls, 19 runs, four wickets.

IND vs SA 2nd T20 2025 Dream11 Prediction Today

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams. 

Option 1:

Option 2:

IND vs SA 2nd T20 2025 Match Prediction: Who will win?

South Africa’s best chance is chasing, although they were beaten heavily in the opening T20I. Expecting India to follow up with another win.

Disclaimer: The fantasy cricket stats, tips and predictions provided on CricBlog are intended for informational purposes for Dream11 free contests in line with the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. The stats and writer’s views are in place to guide fans in creating their teams. While we strive to offer accurate and insightful advice, CricBlog does not guarantee success or winnings in any fantasy contests. Users are encouraged to make their own informed decisions and play responsibly.

All statistics and matchups in this article have been verified by ESPNcricinfo and Cricmetric.