The third T20I between India and South Africa will be played on Sunday, December 14, in Dharamsala at the HPCA Stadium. India come into the contest after going down by 51 runs in the last match and will be determined to respond with a stronger showing.
India were off-colour in the second game, starting with a rare off day for the pace pair. Arshdeep Singh leaked 54, and Jasprit Bumrah went for 45, never quite finding control. The Axar-at-No. 3 shuffle also fell flat, and the chase slipped away as the asking rate and scoreboard squeeze tightened.
India head into the third T20I with a few fires to put out, a lean patch, the extended dry run of skipper Suryakumar Yadav and deputy Shubman Gill. With only eight games left before the T20 World Cup 2026, the window for trials is shrinking fast and the XI needs to settle.
India’s second T20I bowling leak opens the door for Kuldeep Yadav, who has been in outstanding rhythm. But squeezing him in could mean trimming batting depth, with Shivam Dube or Axar Patel the probable casualty. The big question is whether the management risks that balance shift at Dharamsala.
Dharamsala Weather
There’s also some buzz around the weather ahead of the third T20I. According to weather.com, overcast skies are expected to linger through the evening, with a light 10 percent chance of rain. However, the forecast suggests minimal threat of interruption, and a full 20-over game appears well on the cards for fans in Dharamsala.
India Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Dube/Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Hardik Pandya, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.