India win T20I series after 30-run victory over South Africa

India secured the five-match T20I series against South Africa 3–1 with a 30-run win in Ahmedabad. The hosts dominated both with bat and ball in the final match, played on Friday at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Batting first, India posted a formidable 231 for 5, powered by second half-centuries in the series from Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya. Sanju Samson, who came into the side in place of the injured Shubman Gill, and Abhishek Sharma set the tone with aggressive batting from the outset. The opening pair added 97 runs in the first nine overs. Returning to T20Is after a long gap, Samson scored 63 runs inside the powerplay.

Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya then took charge, putting together a 105-run partnership in just 7.2 overs to push India to a massive total. Varma brought up his fifty off 30 balls, while Pandya reached the milestone in just 16 deliveries. Pandya was dismissed for a blistering 63 off 25 balls, and Varma followed soon after, run out for 73 off 42 balls on the final delivery.

Chasing a target of 232, South Africa made a promising start but collapsed dramatically in the latter half of the innings. At one stage, the visitors were cruising at 120 for 1 before Jasprit Bumrah sparked the downfall by dismissing Quinton de Kock for 65 with a yorker, taking a sharp return catch. Bumrah finished with impressive figures of 2 for 17 from four 
overs as South Africa were restricted to 201 for 8.

Despite conceding 23 runs in one over, leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy played a key role in sealing the victory with four wickets.

The win confirmed India’s dominance in the series, as they wrapped it up in convincing fashion.