Chakaravarthy, Bumrah Shine as India Beat South Africa by 30 Runs to Seal T20I Series 3–1
Varun Chakaravarthy’s four for and Jasprit Bumrah’s lethal spell help India script comeback win and extend dominant T20I run
India, Dec 20 : Riding on a superb four-wicket haul from Varun Chakaravarthy and a decisive spell by Jasprit Bumrah, India sealed the five match T20I series 3–1 with a commanding 30-run victory over South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday.
Chasing a stiff target of 232, South Africa appeared firmly in control at 118/1 halfway through the innings, with Quinton de Kock and Dewald Brevis dominating the Indian bowlers. However, the momentum swung dramatically once Bumrah was introduced in the 11th over. The fast bowler removed the in-form de Kock for 63 with a sharp return catch, triggering a stunning collapse.
From a comfortable 120/1, South Africa slid to 135/5 as Chakaravarthy exploited the surface with his variations. The mystery spinner finished with impressive figures of 4/53, while Bumrah’s economical 2/17 proved decisive on a high-scoring night. South Africa eventually managed 201/8, falling well short of the target.
The win marked India’s eighth consecutive T20I series triumph, continuing a dominant run that began in December 2023.
South Africa’s chase had started aggressively, with de Kock launching a fierce assault on Arshdeep Singh in the opening over. Despite Reeza Hendricks struggling for fluency, the visitors raced to 67 without loss in the powerplay, with de Kock bringing up 47 off just 26 balls.
The first breakthrough came in the seventh over when Hendricks was caught at midwicket off Chakaravarthy. De Kock then reached his 18th T20I half-century and added 51 runs with Brevis, pushing South Africa to 118/1 after 10 overs.
Bumrah’s return changed everything. After dismissing de Kock, Hardik Pandya removed Brevis with a slower bouncer, while Chakaravarthy struck in quick succession to dismiss Aiden Markram and Donovan Ferreira. David Miller and George Linde followed soon after, leaving South Africa struggling at 163/7.
Although Marco Jansen briefly threatened with consecutive sixes, Bumrah’s off-cutter ended his resistance in the 17th over, effectively sealing the match and the series for India as they continue their strong build-up ahead of the home T20 World Cup next year.
Brief Scores:
India 231/5 (Tilak Varma 73, Hardik Pandya 63; Corbin Bosch 2-44, Ottniel Baartman 1-39)
South Africa 201/8 (Quinton de Kock 65, Dewald Brevis 31; Varun Chakaravarthy 4-53, Jasprit Bumrah 2-17)
India won by 30 runs
