India and South Africa locked horns in Cuttack's Barabati Stadium on Tuesday, December 6, 2025, for the five-match T20I series opener.

The fixture initially seemed to be going the Proteas' way, but Hardik Pandya drove the Men in Blue to a commanding total, against the run of play.

When it came to the second innings, the Indian bowlers completely bamboozled the South African batsmen, bowling them out for just 74 runs, their lowest score in the format to date. 

They face each other again on Thursday, December 11, 2025, and as we wait, let's take a look at India's predicted playing XI for the Chandigarh clash.

Predicted India Playing XI vs SA 2nd T20I

India's T20 core is set, and since most players performed well in Cuttack, there aren't expected to be many changes in the line-up, if any at all. 

Hardik Pandya returned to international cricket with a bang, and so he should be rock-solid with his spot, besides being a senior player. 

Suryakumar Yadav, despite disappointing yet again with the bat, will be there as the captain, while Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma are key figures in the side up top. 

Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson are battling for the wicket keeper-batsman slot, but India may continue with the former, as he has done well for the side in his last few outings. 

With the ball, Bumrah should be a no-brainer, along with Arshdeep, who will be at his IPL home in the IND vs SA 2nd T20I. With these things in mind, here's India's predicted playing XI:

Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh

Shubman Gill though, has been struggling with the bat in T20Is, even before his injury, so Samson might get a shot at opening with Abhishek again, but the chances seem low.