In a rain-affected encounter at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa secured a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series against India, clinching victory by five wickets. Reeza Hendricks led the charge for the hosts, contributing 49 runs as they successfully chased down a revised target of 152 in 15 overs after a 30-minute rain break.
The South African openers, Hendricks and Matthew Breetzke set the tone with a quickfire start, amassing 42 runs in just 17 balls. Despite Breetzke's departure due to miscommunication, Captain Aiden Markram continued the onslaught in partnership with Hendricks, adding another 54 runs in the next five overs. Markram's innings was cut short when he was caught in the deep attempting his second six, and Hendricks followed suit in the next over, caught at short extra cover for 49 off Kuldeep Yadav.
Although it appeared that India might regain control, the lower-order resilience of David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, and Andile Phehlukwayo ensured that South Africa reached the target with seven balls to spare.
Earlier, India faced early setbacks with openers Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal departing cheaply. However, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav steadied the ship, reaching 59 at the end of the PowerPlay. Despite Varma's late dismissal, Suryakumar and Rinku Singh built a solid platform, adding 70 runs off the next 48 balls.
While the Indian captain departed after scoring 56, Rinku remained unbeaten on 68, guiding India to a total of 180/7. Unfortunately, the rain interrupted play, preventing India from playing the final three balls, and South Africa successfully chased down the revised target.
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