South Africa hosted a touring English cricket team during 1909-10, and won an official Test series 3-2 against an inferior English side despite England having more experienced players on its team.
India were given an eye-opening start in the South Africa National Cricket Team Vs India National Cricket Team Timeline, as Jansen and Keshav Maharaj were particularly effective with the Proteas bowlers, dispatching their top order quickly. David Miller and Dewald Brevis helped the home side recover after an initial setback.
| No. | Year | Format | Venue | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996 | ODI (World Cup) | India | India vs South Africa | South Africa won by 16 runs |
| 2 | 2000 | Test | India | India vs South Africa | India won 2–0 series (dominant home win) |
| 3 | 2006–07 | ODI Series | South Africa | India vs South Africa | South Africa won 4–0 series |
| 4 | 2007 | T20 World Cup | South Africa | India vs South Africa | India won by 37 runs |
| 5 | 2010 | Test Series | India | India vs South Africa | Series drawn 1–1 |
| 6 | 2011 | ODI World Cup | India | India vs South Africa | India won by 87 runs |
| 7 | 2013 | Test Series | South Africa | India vs South Africa | South Africa won Test series 1–0 |
| 8 | 2018 | ODI Series | South Africa | India vs South Africa | India won 5–1 series (historic away win) |
| 9 | 2024 | T20 World Cup Final | Barbados | India vs South Africa | India won by 7 runs |
| 10 | 2025 | ODI Series (Decider) | India | India vs South Africa | India won series 2–1 (decider: 9 wickets win) |
The first match
India and South Africa first locked horns for an ODI match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in November 1991 – it marked more than just another cricket match; it marked the start of an intense rivalry which continues to provide us with some unforgettable cricketing moments.
South Africa was one of the leading Test nations during this era; however, due to an international boycott brought on by apartheid policies and the subsequent sanctions placed upon their country by international cricketing bodies; as a result they missed out on some revolutionary changes within cricket that might have helped further advance their growth as an Test nation.
South Africa returned to world cricket in 2021 with renewed optimism, winning its maiden series against India and forging an intense rivalry that has continued ever since.
South Africa currently have the upper hand in Tests and ODIs against India while India dominates T20Is – this short form being what truly defines their rivalry: India won their inaugural T20I against SA back in 2006 and haven’t let go ever since, thanks to Virat Kohli’s masterclasses or Aiden Markram’s diving catches!
In terms of head-to-head competition between them both, South Africa holds an edge across Tests, ODIs and T20Is while India always triumphs when facing each other on a short form: virat Kohli masterclasses or diving catches by Aiden Markram this rivalry never disappoints!
The second match
South Africa produced a mesmerising display of batsmanship that stunned India and evened up the series 1-1. Quinton de Kock became only the seventh batsman ever to pass 13,000 international runs, equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s record in major ODI tournaments. Furthermore, Proteas bowlers kept applying pressure to Indian batters.
The pitch was extremely dry with some dew present. As such, the ball swung wildly, making it difficult for batsmen to play their natural games – Suryakumar Yadav seemed disoriented from the beginning, Axar Patel hit for a six and Hardik Pandya had some difficulty too – however their brilliance kept them going!
Abhishek Sharma kicked off India’s innings in style with four and six boundaries to open their innings against South African bowling attack, however they couldn’t get going against South Africa’s quality bowlers.
Aiden Markram had an outstanding innings at the other end. He stroked past short midwicket for boundaries before hitting over long-on region for another four.
Ravindra Jadeja got them off the hook after misjudging a pull shot by Lungi Ngidi; his ball went through the ropes for an invaluable wicket. Ngidi then entered as bowler in the final over, giving away several wides and then hitting one full toss hit six over long on in his next over!
| Year / Series | Format | India Key Players | South Africa Key Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Tour (SA) | T20I | Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Jadeja, Arshdeep Singh, Siraj | Aiden Markram (C), Reeza Hendricks, Klaasen, Miller, Jansen, Maharaj, Ngidi, Shamsi |
| 2023 Tour (SA) | ODI | KL Rahul (C), Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav | Temba Bavuma / Aiden Markram (captaincy split), van der Dussen, Klaasen, Miller, Maharaj, Shamsi, Ngidi |
| 2023–24 Tour (SA) | Test | Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jadeja, Ashwin, Bumrah, Siraj | Temba Bavuma (C), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Bedingham, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Jansen |
| 2024 Bilateral Matches | T20I | Suryakumar Yadav (C), Gill, Jaiswal, Samson, Rinku Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Bumrah | Markram (C), Klaasen, Miller, Stubbs, Jansen, Maharaj, Coetzee |
| 2025 ODI Series | ODI | KL Rahul (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj | Temba Bavuma (C), Reeza Hendricks, van der Dussen, Miller, Klaasen, Maharaj, Nortje |
| 2025 T20 Series | T20I | Suryakumar Yadav (C), Jaiswal, Gill, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Arshdeep Singh | Aiden Markram (C), Stubbs, Klaasen, Miller, Coetzee, Jansen, Nortje |
| 2025–26 Tour | Test | Rohit Sharma (C), Gill, Jaiswal, Kohli, Rahul, Pant (wk), Jadeja, Bumrah, Siraj | Bavuma (C), Markram, Bedingham, Mulder, Maharaj, Rabada, Jansen |
| ICC Tournament Matches (Recent Era) | ODI/T20 | Rohit Sharma, Kohli, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Shami, Bumrah | Bavuma, Markram, Klaasen, Miller, Rabada, Jansen |
| 2026 World Cup Match | ODI | Rohit Sharma, Gill, Kohli, Rahul, Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep | Bavuma, Markram, Klaasen, Miller, Rabada, Maharaj |
| Recent 2026 Bilateral | Mixed | Suryakumar Yadav / Gill / Pant / Arshdeep (T20 core), Rohit (Tests) | Markram / Bavuma / Klaasen / Stubbs / Nortje / Jansen |
The third match
South Africa took control of their second T20I match against India to level the series 1-1 and secure an impressive victory, amassing an unbeaten total of 187/6 on an uneven pitch with De Kock, Brevis and Miller all contributing brilliant innings that helped set up an unbeaten 97-run partnership for fourth wicket – this impressive performance bodes well for host South Africa’s chances in this series if this pace continues.
India’s chase began poorly, with nerves at an all-time low from the very outset. However, Hardik Pandya found a way to turn things around with an outstanding innings – hitting India’s second fastest fifty in this format and providing much-needed respite from early setbacks for their batsmen.
Hardik’s performance helped India recover quickly from this early setback while taking some pressure off them all as well as taking pressure off his fellow batsmen during an otherwise pressure-filled chase.
But they were eventually broken apart by an impressive bowling display from the visitors, including Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi who all contributed wickets.
Ngidi struck quickly, trapping Marco Jansen leg before for a 37-ball 42. Shivam Dube provided the final blow when he hit Jasprit Bumrah’s first ball over midwicket for six and thus sealing home side’s victory – taking one step towards title contention while simultaneously sending India down in multi-nation tournament since 2023 T20 World Cup final loss and loss by an Asian side for their biggest T20I defeat ever by runs since.
The fourth match
India and South Africa faced off in the final game of their series as both needed a victory to even out their records and avoid an unwanted whitewash. India made a blistering start, taking six wickets for just 66 runs to take an early advantage and secure victory in this matchup.
The bowlers then went on to break apart South African’s batting lineup. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav were outstanding during their spells; with Jadeja even collecting two crucial hat-tricks!
India showcased an outstanding display of bowling. However, their batsmen also played their part as they took control after only three overs and made 266/6 runs in 50 overs.
South Africa launched their chase in the fourth over and were on course for a record-breaking chase, but ultimately lost some wickets along the way and finished on 240/6.
As they were only five runs short of reaching their target, they now needed to win in the last over to level up the series.
This game was extremely tense and there were several big hitting plays; however, due to excessive fog in Lucknow, the match had to be called off, marking only the second instance of its kind since T20I competition started in 2007.
Now, these teams will come back together in the 2026 T20 World Cup. India will look to replicate their performance as they prepare for the tournament at home in India;
South Africa, meanwhile, hopes to build confidence and momentum before their turn comes – though some of their star bowlers may have fallen victim to injury during this series, there remains plenty of talent within their side.
The fifth match
Fog caused delays to India-South Africa T20I match 4, but both teams will take part in their fifth and final T20I on Friday at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. India already lead their series 3-1; should they win this fifth and final match they would seal their eighth successive win and extend their unbeaten streak across 11 years in white-ball cricket format.
The Proteas will aim to level the series and complete their tour of India on an impressive note. They can take great encouragement from their performances during T20Is which provided valuable match practice as well as pinpointed any areas that may require further work ahead of next year’s World Cup.
Both teams will look to close out this series strongly and demonstrate an impressive batting performance in this match. India will look for Hardik Pandya to continue his outstanding run while South Africa hopes to leverage off their opening partnership of Quinton de Kock and Dewald Brevis to create momentum.
With good batting conditions expected on the pitch, both sides will look to make an early impression in the first two overs of their matchup. This will set the pace and tone for their innings ahead.
India’s bowling unit proved superior in the South Africa National Cricket Team Vs India National Cricket Team Timeline, as Varun Chakravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah kept South African batsmen at bay from early on in their chase of 232; eventually South Africa were dismissed for 201/8 and Reeza Hendricks missed his maiden T20I half century; nonetheless Aiden Markram’s excellent catching tuition, including a full-length dive to dismiss Nitish Reddy quickly set South Africa up for victory.
| Match | Tournament | Date | Venue | India Score | South Africa Score | Result | Top Performer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IND vs SA | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (Super 8) | 22 Feb 2026 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 111 (18.5 ov) | 187/7 (20 ov) | South Africa won by 76 runs | David Miller (63 off 46) |
