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South Africa Cricket Team
South African pace great Dale Steyn has described Hardik Pandya as a superhero who "operates at another level mentally" with an unmatched aura, after the flamboyant India all-rounder's scintillating knock in the fifth T20I. Pandya (63) hit the second fastest T20I fifty for India, while Tilak Varma produced a fluent 73 to set up the hosts' 30-run victory after they posted an imposing 232-run target for the Proteas here on Friday. "Hardik was fantastic he's transcended sportsman into celebrity territory, walking out like a superhero in a scripted movie plot where nobody alters his plan," said Steyn on JioStar. He added, "It's not a bad attitude; it's pure dominance, an aura where nobody else can match what he does. You see it in his stance and presence he's operating at another level mentally, unbreakable in a game that's all about mental battles. All these players are skilled, but he's elevated beyond." Steyn did not support the South African batters' cautious approach against ...
South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad termed his team's tour of India a very successful one and hoped that the two teams meet once again in the final of the next year's T20 World Cup. India are the defending champions of the T20 World Cup when they co-host the tournament from February 7 to March 8 along with Sri Lanka, having defeated the Proteas in a thrilling final in the last edition in 2024. We've got some work to do still, there's no doubt. But the good thing is that the boys have got a month of SA20 coming up and that will also be really good prep in honing their skills to ensure that when the West Indies arrive on our shores we're ready for that, Conrad told the media after the fifth T20I, which India won by 30 runs to clinch their five-match series 3-1. and then obviously the World Cup, that's the big thing. So whilst we didn't get the results we wanted here in the (T20I) series, I'd like to think this might be the World Cup's finalists (of 2024) in the next World Cup as wel
Suryakumar Yadav on Sunday acknowledged the shortage of runs from him but India's T20I skipper did not count it as lack of form, saying that runs will come sooner than later. Suryakumar made an 11-ball 12 in India's seven-wicket win over South Africa in the third T20I here before getting out to Lungi Ngidi. It extended his run of low scores to 21 innings, with the exceptions being his 75 against Bangladesh in Hyderabad on October 24, and an unbeaten 47 against Pakistan during September's Asia Cup. I've been batting beautifully in the nets. When the runs have to come, they'll come. Not out of form, definitely out of runs, said Suryakumar in the post-match presentation. The outing also reduced Suryakumar's average in T20Is in 2025 to a paltry 14.20 with two matches against South Africa remaining. But he was happy with the way India bounced back from the defeat in the second T20I. I think this sport teaches you a lot of things. How you come back into the series is more important. An
India on Friday slipped a rung to sixth position on the World Test Championship standings after New Zealand's comprehensive nine-wicket victory against the West Indies in Wellington propelled them to the third place. Runners-up in the first two WTC cycles, India were placed fifth after they were blanked 2-0 by South Africa at home last month with New Zealand occupying the sixth position. However, the table saw a major turnaround after the Kiwis' big win in the second Test at Basin Reverse on Friday. Former champions Australia continue to hold the top position with 100 percentage points (win-loss percentage) with South Africa in second place with 75 percentage points. Sri Lanka (66.67) and Pakistan (50) occupy the fourth and fifth position respectively. New Zealand have so far accumulated 66.67 percentage points, while India have a win-loss percentage of 48.15. India can drop further down to seventh if England stage a comeback against Australia in the Ashes. The Aussies lead the se
Shubman Gill has been a "bit too tight" since his T20 comeback as he has been trying to "justify" his place in the side but the Indian team management wants him to free up and play like he does in the IPL, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has said. Gill was brought back into the T20 setup with the Asia Cup in September after he led India to two famous Test wins in the drawn five-match series in England. He replaced Sanju Samson at the top but runs have not flown from his bat, raising questions ahead of the T20 World Cup at home in February-March. After the loss in the second T20I against South Africa here on Thursday, ten Doeschate said Gill needed to loosen up a bit in the shortest format. "Taking on the captaincy the way he did in England and how well he led and how much pride he took in that performance, I think an element of that carried over into what he wanted to do in the T20 side," said the assistant coach in response to a PTI query after the 51-run loss that left the ...