IND vs SA 5th T20I In Ahmedabad: India Eye 3–1 Finish, South Africa Target Series Draw
After dense fog in Lucknow forced the fourth T20I to be abandoned without a ball bowled, India and South Africa will contest a winner‑takes‑all finale at the **Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad** tonight, with the hosts leading the five‑match series 2–1. India are chasing a 14th successive unbeaten T20I series, while Aiden Markram’s South Africa can still walk away with a creditable 2–2 draw if they upset the home side under lights.
Match Details, Pitch And Weather
The 5th T20I starts at **7:00 pm IST** on Friday, 19 December, with live TV coverage on Star Sports and streaming on JioCinema/Hotstar. The Narendra Modi Stadium surface is known for **true bounce and high‑scoring games**, offering pace early on before slowing slightly to bring the spinners into play; average first‑innings scores in T20Is here are around 170–180.
Unlike fog‑prone Lucknow, **Ahmedabad’s weather forecast is clear**, with temperatures between 16°C and 25°C and no chance of rain, though light dew is expected in the second innings, making chasing an attractive option at the toss.
Form Guide: India Start As Favourites
India dominated the first two games in Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati before South Africa hit back in Nagpur, leaving the series poised at 2–1 when the Lucknow game was washed out. Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma have provided brisk starts at the top, while Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma have anchored the middle order and Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube have supplied late‑over power.
With the ball, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh have struck early blows in the powerplay, and wrist‑spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy have strangled the Proteas in the middle overs, a template India will want to repeat on a bigger ground in Ahmedabad.
South Africa’s Chance To Salvage The Tour
South Africa, who lost the Test series 0–2 but pushed India hard in the ODIs, will look to finish their tour on a high and deny the hosts another series win. Quinton de Kock remains the key at the top, while captain Aiden Markram and youngster Dewald Brevis provide muscle in the middle order; the visitors are also weighing changes after Reeza Hendricks’ lean run so far.
With the ball, Lungi Ngidi, Ottniel Baartman and left‑arm seamer Marco Jansen have been South Africa’s most reliable options, and they will need early wickets to quieten what is expected to be a near‑full house at the world’s largest cricket stadium.
Probable XIs
India (likely XI): Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav / Varun Chakravarthy. South Africa (likely XI): Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks / Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram / Dewald Brevis, Donovan Ferreira, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Ottniel Baartman, Tabraiz Shamsi.
With clear skies in Ahmedabad after the unprecedented fog washout in Lucknow, the stage is set for a full 40‑over contest that will decide whether India close out 2025 with another home‑series win or South Africa script a fighting 2–2 comeback.
