IND vs SA 2025, 1st T20I: India vs South Africa Today's Match Prediction: Who will win today's match?
India vs South Africa Today Match Prediction, 1st T20I: Who will win today's match? (Source: BCCI)
Published - 09 Dec 2025, 01:32 AM• Read time - 2 mins
India and South Africa will face off in the first T20I of the five-match series at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Tuesday, December 9.
The Proteas have won five out of the 14 T20Is they have played in the year, but have not been able to clinch a series. They reached the final of the T20I tri-series against New Zealand and Zimbabwe at the beginning of the year, but lost to New Zealand in the final.
That drubbing was followed by losses to Australia and Pakistan before the two-match T20I series against England ended in a draw. Later in the year, a second-string Donovan Ferreira-led team faced Namibia in what was the first-ever meeting of the two sides in any format. Namibia defeated South Africa rather spectacularly in the one-off clash, chasing down 135 in a last-ball thriller.
As for hosts India, their last T20I assignment was a five-match away T20I series against Australia, which they won 2-1 with two no results. Preceding that triumph was India’s victory in the 2025 Asia Cup in UAE. With only 10 games left – five each at home against South Africa and New Zealand – before the 2026 T20 World Cup, the defending champions will look to fine-tune the team combinations and stack some wins behind them.
Match Details
Pitch Report – Barabati Stadium, Cuttack
The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack has played host to only three T20Is, with two of those incidentally involving South Africa. They dismissed India for a paltry 92 in 2015 in a six-wicket win and then defeated them by the same margin, albeit in a much tighter game, in 2022.
With a re-laid surface with red soil as its base, the track is set to offer good bounce and carry for pacers throughout the course of the game. That said, the batters will have value for their shots on a true surface. With dew’s presence likely, expect chasing to be the preferred choice.
Today's Match Prediction: South Africa win the match
Disclaimer: This prediction is based solely on the independent opinion of cricket analysts and does not represent the views of Mr Cricket UAE. These insights are informative, and doesn't guarantee an outcome. Cricket is unpredictable, and actual match results may vary due to on-field conditions.
