Ahead of 1st T20I, Team India players and coach Gautam Gambhir seek blessings at Shri Jagannath Temple

NEW DELHI: India cricketers, along with head coach Gautam Gambhir, visited the Shri Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri on Tuesday to seek blessings ahead of the opening T20I of the five-match series against South Africa. The match is scheduled to be played later in the evening at Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium.



Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!


Captain Suryakumar Yadav, accompanied by his wife Devisha Shetty, and batter Tilak Varma were among the players who took part in the temple visit. The squad entered the premises amid heavy security arrangements as fans gathered in large numbers.




The T20I series comes after an intense Test and ODI contest between the two sides. South Africa dominated the red-ball leg with a 2-0 clean sweep, while India bounced back in the white-ball format, winning the ODI series 2-1 with the return of senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.


India are set to receive a further boost with the return of Shubman Gill, who missed the earlier matches due to a neck injury, and vice-captain Hardik Pandya. Both are likely to walk straight into the playing XI. Jasprit Bumrah, rested during the ODI series, is also back to lead the pace attack.


South Africa have named a full-strength squad, with experienced campaigner David Miller returning to the setup. Speedster Anrich Nortje is also back in action, while several players will be keen to make an impression ahead of the IPL auction scheduled for December 16.


This clash marks the first T20I meeting between India and South Africa since the thrilling 2024 T20 World Cup final, where India secured a dramatic seven-run win. Beyond the immediate contest, the series will also serve as crucial preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup, set to be hosted in the subcontinent next February.


South Africa Squad:

Quinton de Kock(w), Aiden Markram(c), Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Reeza Hendricks, Ottneil Baartman, Donovan Ferreira, Kwena Maphaka, George Linde


India Squad:

Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma(w), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana.


Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here