3 things to look forward to in the 5th India vs South Africa T20I ft. Sanju Samson as opener

India and South Africa will battle it out in the fifth T20I at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, December 19. The five-match series is currently 2-1 in favor of the hosts.

The previous encounter in Lucknow was abandoned due to heavy fog, meaning that the Proteas can no longer win the series outright. Despite that, an interesting clash between two of the best sides in the world beckons.

India’s T20I squad for the South Africa series: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Shahbaz Ahmed, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Washington Sundar, Hardik Pandya.

South Africa's T20I squad for the India series: Aiden Markram (captain), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock (wk), Lutho Sipamla, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, George Linde, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tristan Stubbs.

On that note, here are three things to look forward to in the fifth T20I between India and South Africa.

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#3 Suryakumar Yadav has to fire in India's last game before T20 World Cup squad selection

Cricket: Australia v India - 5th T20I - Source: Getty

Suryakumar Yadav has been woefully bereft of runs in 2025. The series against South Africa hasn't gone to plan so far, and India's captain will need to deliver in the final encounter.

The last thing India need heading into a T20 World Cup is serious concern over the form of their captain. Suryakumar will need to ensure that that is not the case, but given his recent performances, where he has fallen victim to his favorite shots, things don't look too promising.

It'll definitely be interesting to see whether SKY can recapture his lost form and allay a bunch of nerves in the camp.

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#2 Shubman Gill is injured, and in his absence, Sanju Samson is set to return

India Cricket - Source: Getty

The Indian selectors are expected to meet tomorrow to finalize the squad for the T20 World Cup. In his last outing before that, Sanju Samson will have to deliver at the top of the order.

Samson has caught a lucky break, with Shubman Gill having reportedly suffered a toe injury that will rule him out of the final encounter of the series. The keeper-batter from Kerala will need to be at his absolute best, even though it is rather unfair on him to give him just one opportunity to make a mark.

Gill has been in terrible form in recent times, and a strong showing from Samson could tempt Gautam Gambhir and the team management to start with him as the frontline opener in the lead-up to the marquee ICC event.

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#1 Will India rest any of their frontline bowlers?

Cricket: Australia v India - 2nd T20I - Source: Getty

Can India rest any of their frontline bowlers for the final T20I? Jasprit Bumrah missed the third encounter due to personal reasons and didn't get a chance to feature in Lucknow due to the game being abandoned, so it might be unlikely for him to be on the bench.

However, India can certainly consider resting either Varun Chakaravarthy or Arshdeep Singh, who have played all three completed matches in the rubber so far. Harshit Rana could be given an opportunity instead of Arshdeep, while Varun could be dropped to accommodate Kuldeep Yadav.

Needless to say, India can also field Varun and Kuldeep in tandem, and stick with their first-choice pace combination since the series is still up for grabs.