Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium witnessed a batting spectacle as India outclassed South Africa by 30 runs in a T20 World Cup warm-up match on Wednesday. Batting first after a toss win, the Men in Blue erupted for 240/6, powered by a barrage of boundaries and sixes that left the Proteas reeling.
The opening duo of Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma laid the foundation with an 80-run stand in 5.4 overs. Kishan’s 20-ball 53, adorned with 7 maximums and 2 fours, was the highlight before he retired out. Sharma followed with 24 off 18 (4 boundaries), also retiring strategically.
Tilak Varma took charge next, hammering 45 off 19 balls featuring equal measures of sixes and fours. Suryakumar Yadav’s 30 off 16 kept the momentum, Axar Patel’s 35 added stability, and Hardik Pandya’s unbeaten 30 off 10 with 5 boundaries sealed a massive total. South Africa’s attack was shared, each of Jansen, Bosch, Nortje, and Maphaka claiming a scalp.
South Africa’s chase crumbled early with Linde dismissed for zero. Markram and Rickelton’s 66-run partnership offered hope, but wickets tumbled post-100. Smith (35), Jansen (31), and Stubbs’ unbeaten 45 (4×6, 1×4) couldn’t bridge the gap, as they finished at 210/7.
Abhishek Sharma’s 2 wickets spearheaded India’s bowling effort, with Arshdeep, Dube, Chakaravarthy, and Axar grabbing one apiece. This dominant performance underscores India’s firepower ahead of the global showdown.
