The rivalry between the India National Cricket Team and the South Africa National Cricket Team has evolved into a premier global spectacle. Characterized by a relentless battle between India’s technical batting mastery and South Africa’s aggressive pace battery, every encounter across Test, ODI, and T20I formats delivers high-octane drama and historic milestones.
Latest India vs South Africa Cricket
Tournament
Venue
Date
Toss
India Score
SA Score
Result
Series
Player of the Match
ICC T20 World Cup
Ahmedabad
Feb 22, 2026
SA (bat)
111 (18.5 ov)
187/7 (20 ov)
SA won by 76 runs
T20 WC Super 8
David Miller (SA)
Bilateral T20I
Ahmedabad
Dec 19, 2025
SA (field)
231/5 (20 ov)
201/8 (20 ov)
India won by 30 runs
Bilateral T20I
Hardik Pandya (IND)
Bilateral T20I
Dharamsala
Dec 14, 2025
India (field)
120/3 (15.5 ov)
117 (20 ov)
India won by 7 wkts
Bilateral T20I
Arshdeep Singh (IND)
Bilateral T20I
Chandigarh
Dec 11, 2025
India (field)
162 (19.1 ov)
213/4 (20 ov)
SA won by 51 runs
Bilateral T20I
Quinton de Kock (SA)
Bilateral T20I
Cuttack
Dec 9, 2025
SA (field)
175/6 (20 ov)
74 (12.3 ov)
India won by 101 runs
Bilateral T20I
Hardik Pandya (IND)
Bilateral ODI
Vizag
Dec 6, 2025
India (field)
271/1 (39.5 ov)
270 (47.5 ov)
India won by 9 wkts
Bilateral ODI
Yashasvi Jaiswal (IND)
Bilateral ODI
Raipur
Dec 3, 2025
SA (field)
358/5 (50 ov)
362/6 (49.2 ov)
SA won by 4 wkts
Bilateral ODI
Aiden Markram (SA)
Upcoming India vs South Africa Series Schedule (2026-27)
Team
Tour / Tournament
Format
Date
Venue
Women
India Tour of South Africa
3rd T20I
Apr 22, 2026
Wanderers, Johannesburg
Women
India Tour of South Africa
4th T20I
Apr 25, 2026
Wanderers, Johannesburg
Women
India Tour of South Africa
5th T20I
Apr 27, 2026
Willowmoore Park, Benoni
Women
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup
Group Stage
Jun 21, 2026
Old Trafford, Manchester
Men
India Tour of South Africa
3 ODI / 2 Test
Sep – Oct 2026
Various (South Africa)
Women
India Tour of South Africa
1st ODI
Dec 9, 2026
Senwes Park, Potchefstroom
Women
India Tour of South Africa
2nd ODI
Dec 12, 2026
Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein
Women
India Tour of South Africa
3rd ODI
Dec 15, 2026
Newlands, Cape Town
Women
India Tour of South Africa
Only Test
Dec 20, 2026
St George’s Park, Gqeberha
Men
ICC ODI World Cup 2027
ODI Tournament
Feb – Mar 2027
Multi-venue (SA/Zim/Nam)
India vs South Africa Overall Head-to-Head Record
Format
Total Matches
India Won
South Africa Won
Draw / No Result
Test Matches
46
16
20
10
ODI Matches
97
42
52
3
T20I Matches
36
21
14
1
Total
179
79
86
14
Most Memorable India vs South Africa Matches: The Epic Thrillers
Format
Venue
Date
Key Moment / Narrative
Result
T20I
Barbados
Jun 29, 2024
T20 World Cup Final: India defended 30 runs off the last 30 balls; Suryakumar Yadav’s iconic catch at the boundary sealed the win.
India won by 7 runs
ODI
Gwalior
Feb 24, 2010
History Made: Sachin Tendulkar became the first male cricketer to score a double century (200*) in ODI history.
India won by 153 runs
Test
Johannesburg
Dec 15, 2006
First Win on SA Soil: Sreesanth’s 8-wicket haul led India to their historic first-ever Test victory in South Africa.
India won by 123 runs
ODI
Colombo
Sep 25, 2002
Champions Trophy Semi-Final: South Africa was cruising at 192/1 before a massive collapse triggered by Harbhajan Singh and Sehwag.
India won by 10 runs
Test
Johannesburg
Dec 18, 2013
The Greatest Draw: South Africa nearly chased down a record 458 runs in the 4th innings, falling just 8 runs short of a world-record win.
Match Drawn
ODI
Kochi
Mar 9, 2000
High-Scoring Chase: India chased down 302 in a nail-biting finish, with Ajay Jadeja and Mohammad Azharuddin guiding the way.
India won by 3 wickets
T20I
Johannesburg
Dec 1, 2006
The Beginning: India’s first-ever T20 International match; Dinesh Karthik’s finishing touch won it in the final over.
India won by 6 wickets
Major ICC Tournament Matches: India vs South Africa
Tournament
Venue
Date
Round
Winner
Men’s T20 World Cup
Ahmedabad
Feb 22, 2026
Super 8
South Africa (76 runs)
Women’s World Cup
Mumbai
Nov 2, 2025
Final
India (52 runs)
Men’s T20 World Cup
Barbados
Jun 29, 2024
Final
India (7 runs)
Men’s ODI World Cup
Kolkata
Nov 5, 2023
Group Stage
India (243 runs)
Men’s T20 World Cup
Perth
Oct 30, 2022
Group Stage
South Africa (5 wkts)
Men’s ODI World Cup
Southampton
Jun 5, 2019
Group Stage
India (6 wkts)
Champions Trophy
London
Jun 11, 2017
Group Stage
India (8 wkts)
Men’s ODI World Cup
Melbourne
Feb 22, 2015
Group Stage
India (130 runs)
Men’s T20 World Cup
Dhaka
Apr 4, 2014
Semi-Final
India (6 wkts)
Champions Trophy
Cardiff
Jun 6, 2013
Group Stage
India (26 runs)
Men’s ODI World Cup
Nagpur
Mar 12, 2011
Group Stage
South Africa (3 wkts)
Champions Trophy
Colombo
Sep 25, 2002
Semi-Final
India (10 runs)
Champions Trophy
Nairobi
Oct 13, 2000
Semi-Final
India (95 runs)
India vs South Africa: Key Performance Table
Category
Player Name
Team
Key Statistic
Record / Recent Form
Most Runs (Tests)
Sachin Tendulkar
India
1,741 Runs
Career Average: 42.46
Most Runs (ODIs)
Sachin Tendulkar
India
2,001 Runs
First-ever male ODI double centurion
Most Runs (T20Is)
Rohit Sharma
India
420 Runs
Highest individual score: 106
Most Wickets (Tests)
Anil Kumble
India
45 Wickets
Best in 24 innings
Most Wickets (ODIs)
Shaun Pollock
SA
52 Wickets
Leading wicket-taker in format
Top Scorer (2025 ODI)
Virat Kohli
India
302 Runs
3 innings, Avg: 151.00
Leading Wickets (2025)
Simon Harmer
SA
17 Wickets
Dominant in the 2025 Test Series
Current T20 Star
Ishan Kishan
India
176 Runs
Top India scorer in 2026 T20 World Cup
Bowling Impact (2026)
Varun Chakaravarthy
India
9 Wickets
Leading India wicket-taker (2026 WC)
Best SR (T20)
Marco Jansen
SA
158.92
High-impact all-round performance
Tactical Power-Plays & Record Breakers (2025-26)
Category
Record / Tactical Insight
Player / Team
Achievement
Highest Team Total
231/5 (20 Overs)
India
Scored in Ahmedabad (Dec 19, 2025)
Lowest Team Total
74 All Out
South Africa
Cuttack T20I (India’s biggest win by runs)
Power-Play King (Bat)
142 Runs
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Highest strike rate (168.4) in the first 6 overs
Power-Play King (Ball)
8 Wickets
Arshdeep Singh
Most wickets taken during the field restrictions
Most Sixes (Series)
14 Sixes
Heinrich Klaasen
Most maximums across the 2025 T20I series
Highest Partnership
172 Runs
Kohli & Jaiswal
For the 1st wicket in the Vizag ODI
Best Bowling Figures
6/18
Simon Harmer
Match-winning spell in the 2nd Test (2025)
Fastest Fifty
18 Balls
Hardik Pandya
Fastest half-century in the 2025 Bilateral T20Is
Most Catches
9 Catches
Aiden Markram
Exceptional fielding performance in the slips
Strategic Matchups & Squad Dynamics (2025-26)
Strategic Element
Primary Matchup / Dynamic
Tactical Outcome
The Spin Duel
Varun Chakaravarthy vs. Heinrich Klaasen
Chakaravarthy’s “mystery” variations successfully restricted Klaasen’s strike rate to below 110 in the middle overs.
New Ball Battle
Arshdeep Singh vs. Quinton de Kock
Arshdeep’s early swing accounted for De Kock’s wicket 4 times across the bilateral series and T20 World Cup.
All-Round Impact
Hardik Pandya vs. Marco Jansen
A battle of balance; Pandya’s finishing at the death often countered Jansen’s early-over breakthroughs.
Middle-Order Anchor
Tilak Varma vs. Keshav Maharaj
Varma used an aggressive sweep strategy to neutralize Maharaj’s consistency, keeping India’s run rate high.
Death Over Tactics
India’s ‘Finisher’ Depth
India opted for a longer batting lineup (up to No. 8), allowing them to maintain a 10+ RPO even after early wickets.
Squad Rotation
South Africa’s Pace Depth
SA frequently rotated Coetzee and Rabada to maintain high-velocity bowling throughout the long Indian tour.
Captaincy Style
Suryakumar Yadav vs. Aiden Markram
Yadav’s aggressive field placements in T20s forced errors, while Markram’s defensive rings in ODIs choked run flow.
History Re-Written: Records Broken in 2025/26
Record Type
Previous Record
New Record
Holder / Event
Most T20I Runs (Series)
224 Runs
280 Runs
Tilak Varma (IND)
Most T20I Wickets (Series)
9 Wickets
12 Wickets
Varun Chakaravarthy (IND)
Highest Team T20I Total
211/4 (SA)
231/5 (IND)
Team India (Ahmedabad)
Most Sixes in an Innings
7 Sixes
10 Sixes
Tilak Varma (IND)
Best Test Bowling (In India)
5/24
6/18
Simon Harmer (SA)
Longest Winning Streak (T20 WC)
11 Matches
12 Matches
Team India (2024-2026)
Highest ODI Partnership (SA vs IND)
168 Runs
172 Runs
Kohli & Jaiswal (IND)
Fastest 50 (SA vs IND T20I)
21 Balls
18 Balls
Hardik Pandya (IND)
Most Maidens (T20I Series)
2 Maidens
4 Maidens
Arshdeep Singh (IND)
First Test Series Win in India
N/A
2-0 Victory
South Africa (2025)
Pace vs. Power: Fast Bowling Statistics (2025-26)
Bowler
Team
Peak Speed (KPH)
Wickets (All Formats)
Economy Rate
Best Spell
Mayank Yadav
IND
156.7
14
7.82
4/21 (T20I)
Anrich Nortje
SA
155.1
12
8.10
3/19 (T20I)
Gerald Coetzee
SA
152.4
19
8.45
4/33 (ODI)
Jasprit Bumrah
IND
148.9
22
4.92
5/11 (Test)
Kagiso Rabada
SA
150.2
25
5.34
6/44 (Test)
Arshdeep Singh
IND
144.5
18
7.15
4/9 (T20I)
Marco Jansen
SA
146.8
21
6.80
4/28 (ODI)
Mohammed Siraj
IND
147.2
15
5.12
3/15 (ODI)
The Final Verdict: A Legacy of Excellence
The 2025/26 season solidified this matchup as cricket’s most unpredictable thriller. While India maintains T20I dominance and home-ground strength, South Africa’s historic Test breakthrough proves they remain India’s greatest challenge. This rivalry isn’t just about statistics; it’s a testament to elite sportsmanship, tactical evolution, and the pure passion of the game.
