With India and South Africa set to begin their five-match T20I series at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has revealed his favourite India starting XI for the opener. In an attempt to enhance India’s lower order and bowling assault, Pathan has replaced wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson with Jitesh Sharma.
The former went with the opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, the latter returning from a neck spasm. Pathan added that Gill must establish his status in the game’s shortest format.
“Shubman Gill needs to cement his place in 20-over cricket. We believe he is an all-format player. We have seen how he performs in T20 cricket in our league [IPL]. However, here, he has a chance to cement his place,” stated Irfan in a video on his YouTube channel.
Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma are set to form the middle order with the right-left combination that has served India well. Having excluded Samson, Pathan instead picked Jitesh Sharma as a lower-order finisher, believing that the Men in Blue need a power-hitter who can bat from No. 6 onwards at a strike rate above 170, especially with Hardik Pandya also returning from injury. He stated India’s limited batting depth at No. 8 but prioritised wicket-taking bowling options.
On the bowling front, Pathan opted for a four-bowler attack with Jasprit Bumrah leading the attack, Arshdeep Singh in the fray, and the spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy. Meanwhile, the Cuttack T20I is the beginning of India’s final stretch before the next T20 World Cup, with only 10 games remaining to strengthen their combinations. India has dominated the format in 2025 with a remarkable run in 17 matches with just two losses, and series wins over England, Australia, and a victorious Asia Cup campaign in the UAE.
Irfan Pathan’s India XI for the first T20I against South Africa
Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
India
