South Africa destroyed the Indian batting line-up to claim victory by an inning and 32 runs in the South Africa vs India first Test, securing the victory in just three days. Kl Rahul's fighting century helped India put up a total of 245. The Proteas' bowling attack dismissed India for 131 in their second innings after South Africa had earlier scored 408 courtesy of Dean Elgar's magnificent knock of 185. The Proteas took a 163-run first-innings lead. Virat Kohli fought alone in the second inning and scored 76 but it wasn't enough. Debutant Nandre Burger took four wickets, Marco Jansen three, and Kagiso Rabada two in the second innings. South Africa cannot lose the series now and remain the only country where India have yet to win an away series.

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South Africa vs India 1st Test: What happened in the match?

1st Inning: India - 245; South Africa 408

After a rain-delayed start in the South Africa vs India 1st Test match, India got off to a disastrous start as they lost their top three inside just 24 runs in the first 12 overs. Kagiso Rabada dismissed Rohit Sharma on 5 to draw the first blood before debutant pacer Nandre Burger sent Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal in quick succession.

Jaiswal got off to a solid start in his first Test in South Africa but was dismissed on 17 while Gill continued his mediocre run overseas as he could only score 2 runs while batting at no.3. Then Kohli combined with Shreyas Iyer to put India's inning back on track with a 68-run stand for the 4th wicket.

The duo did get off to a shaky start, getting a lifeline each after dropped catches in consecutive overs but looked in control until lunch. However, Iyer and Kohli departed in quick succession post Lunch with Rabada dismissing both batters to leave India hanging on 107/5. Kohli departed after scoring 38, and Iyer was sent on 31 off 50 balls.

Rabada and debutant Burger dismantled the batting lineup of the visitors. Kagiso Rabada continued his lethal run after lunch. He dismissed Ashwin and Shardul Thakur to complete his five-wicket haul. KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 70 at the end of Day 1. Rahul, who had hit a match-winning Test hundred in Centurion 2 years ago resumed his love affair with the SuperSport Park. The first day ended after 59 overs bowled with 208 runs on the scoreboard. Kl Rahul completed his century but the Proteas bowled out India on a low total of 245 right after the start of Day 2.

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The Indian Cricket Team haven't had a great second day of the South Africa vs India 1st Test match in Centurion. When bad light forced early stumps, South Africa had already taken an 11-run lead with five wickets remaining courtesy of Dean Elgar's beautiful unbeaten 140. The start of India's bowling was not bad as Mohammed Siraj dismissed Aiden Markram early.

But Dean Elgar and Tony de Zorzi constructed a good partnership as South Africa were looking comfortable and the score had reached 91/1 with Elgar completing his half-century.

South Africa's score was 256/5 -lead by 11 runs- with Elgar (140) and Marco Jansen (3) unbeaten at the crease during the time of Day 2 Stumps. India would now feel that they failed to solve the only riddle of the match and that was Dean Elger who played a magnificent inning in the last test series of his career.

The last session of the day started with the debutant David Bedingham scoring a half-century. However, Mohammed Siraj provided India with a much-needed breakthrough, breaking the solid partnership.

After the beginning of Day 3, Dean Elgar moved from 140 to 185 before he was dismissed 30 minutes before lunch. He and Marco Jansen constructed a 111-run partnership for the sixth wicket. The pair started the day with a positive approach and Jansen remained not out on 84, his highest test score. South Africa ended on 408, taking a lead of 163 runs.

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2nd Inning: India - 131; South Africa wins by an inning and 32 runs

It was a terrific bowling performance, from the first ball of India's second innings. Rabada bowled India's captain Rohit Sharma and Jaiswal then gifted Burger his wicket to depart for five. Shubman Gill scored 26 runs off 37 balls but was bowled by Jansen to leave India hanging at 62-3 at tea.

Virat Kohli proved his worth and fought hard but wickets continued to fall at the start of the last session with Shreyas Iyer returning to the dressing room for 6 and then Burger taking two wickets in as many balls. KL Rahul, who scored a century in the first inning, went cheaply as he edged to Markram and Ravichandran Ashwin departed for a duck.

David Bedingham then took a catch at gully to help Rabada getting the wicket of Shardul Thakur. Virat Kohli was the last out for 76 runs off 82 balls, brilliantly caught in the deep by Rabada to put an end to the contest. Only Kl Rahul's century, Bumrah's 4-wicket haul, and Virat Kohli's 76-run inning were the positives for India from the South Africa vs India 1st Test match. The Proteas dominated the match and emerged as the deserved winners.

Indian Captain Rohit Sharma after the loss in the 1st Test

"We were not good enough to win. Having put into bat, KL batted well to get us that score but then we didn't exploit the conditions with the ball and then again didn't show up today with the bat. If we have to win Test matches, we have to come together collectively and we didn't do that. Guys have come here before, we know what to expect and everyone has their own plan. Our batters were challenged and we didn't adapt well. This is a boundary-scoring ground, we saw them score many but we need to understand the opposition and their strengths as well. We didn't bat well in both innings, that's why we stand here. Not too many positives to finish the game within 3 days, but KL showed what we need to do on this sort of pitch. Our bowlers, a lot of these guys haven't been here before so I don't want to be too critical. Important for us to regroup, we go through these times as sportsmen and we need to be ready for the next Test now."

Dean Elgar after the victory and his special 185-run inning

"Pretty special knock. Sometimes what we want to do hasn't worked out as planned, but happy that it worked today. I think you need to keep things nice and simple, the game is already pretty complex. Focus on the ball, play nice and straight. Play late and be great. You got to ride the roller when it is in your favour. Good partnerships with Tony, and then Jansen should his talent as well. You need fast bowlers and a spinner potentially to take 20 wickets, that's how we win Test matches. KG was brilliant, but then Nadre showed why he has been such a shining light for South African cricket. First few days were overcast, and close to sellout. Crowds don't need much motivation to come out and watch their cricket or rugby in Pretoria. You can't win a 2 Test series if you don't win the first one, the Indians are difficult to beat. We'll have a few days out to relax and enjoy this. We were pretty clinical, our fielding wasn't the best and we didn't make it too easy for ourselves at times."

Cricket today is almost entirely a batsman's game. Flat pitches, small boundaries and bigger bats have tilted the game heavily in favor of the batsmen. The bowlers have got nowhere to hide and, the advent of T20s, where the batsmen go after them from the first ball itself have made it even more difficult.

The T20 format has brought about a revolution where the bowlers are more than grateful to keep the run rate down, rather than to take wickets. India made a wonderful foray into the shortest format of the game, winning the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. Over the years India is blessed to have got some big hitters in their line up who are capable of clearing any boundary in the world.

In this article we will take a look at those batters with most sixes for India in T20Is.

Most Sixes for India in T20Is

5. Hardik Pandya | 95

Hardik Pandya debuted in T20I cricket in 2016 and swiftly established himself as a key member of India's preferred playing eleven, serving as a seam-bowling all-rounder. His T20I career reached its peak in 2024, marked by outstanding all-round performances during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, helping India clinch the title. In terms of batting, Pandya has struck 95 sixes across 90 T20I innings.

Pandya has been included in the Men in Blue's 15-member squad for this year's Asia Cup. If Pandya manages to hit five more maximums in the Asia Cup, then he will go on to surpass KL Rahul's tally of 99 sixes in the shortest format. This will see the all-rounder become the Indian player with the fourth-most sixes in T20Is.

Also Read: Highest Wicket Taker in Asia Cup History (ODI + T20)

4. KL Rahul | 99

KL Rahul, who was once a consistent member of the T20I squad now finds himself out of favour in the T20I setup. Between 2016 and 2022, he played in 72 T20I matches and mostly batted in the top three.

He hit 99 sixes in 68 T20I innings. Following the T20 World Cup 2022, he was excluded from the shortest format due to his outdated approach to T20 cricket, as he did not improve his intent and strike rate.

3. Virat Kohli | 124

The Run Machine Virat Kohli has hit 124 sixes in 117 T20I innings for India. He is one of the most consistent players in the Indian team, with an average of 48.69. He made his T20I debut for India in 2010 and since then he has been a cornerstone of India's batting. Kohli also recorded 4,188 runs in T20I format, which included 38 fifties. 

“King Kohli” was part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in June 2024. After winning the trophy, Kohli announced his retirement from the format. 

2. Suryakumar Yadav | 146*

Yet another batsman who has made six-hitting look extremely easy is India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. Despite making his T20I debut in March 2021 with a match against England, the elegant middle-order batter has already launched 146 maximums in just 79 innings for Team India.

Having the ability to hit sixes at all parts of the ground with relative ease makes Yadav, a.k.a SKY, draw a comparison with South Africa’s great AB De Villiers who was called Mr. 360 in cricket. His centuries have also come against big teams like England, South Africa, and New Zealand apart from Sri Lanka. He has hit the most number of T20I sixes against West Indies (35).  

1. Rohit Sharma | 205

Former Indian T20I captain Rohit Sharma hit the most sixes for India in T20Is, having hit 205 sixes in 159 games he played. He made his debut for India in the 2007 T20 World Cup against South Africa. However, he failed to cement his place in the team. The turnaround came in the 2013 Champions Trophy when MS Dhoni promoted him up the order to open the batting with Shikhar Dhawan.

Also Read: Most matches by an Indian in international cricket

The mighty Australians have been Rohit's favourite opponent in this format against whom he has hit 29 sixes in 23 matches with Bangladesh being the second, conceding 22 sixes off his willow. Fondly called the “Hitman”, Rohit Sharma hung up his boots from T20Is after delivering the 2024 T20 World Cup title for India.   

The Indian team has given the country and the world many great batsmen, whose batting is admired by the whole world. Whether these players are playing at home or abroad, they have shown their batting prowess everywhere.

There have been a few who have made their nation proud with record appearances in all three formats for the Indian cricket side. While some have been able to represent India in a record number of matches, others have done a significant job in all three formats, time and time again. 

In this article, we will be discussing about most matches by an Indian in international cricket.

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Most matches by an Indian in international cricket

1. Sachin Tendulkar | 664

Sachin Tendulkar is the player who has played the most matches for the Indian team in international cricket. From 1989 to 2013, the Master Blaster has played a total of 664 matches in international cricket, in which he has scored 34537 runs at an impressive average of 48.52. He is the only batsman to score 100 centuries in international cricket.

Tendulkar featured in 200 Test matches, where he scored 15,921 runs at an average of 53.78, while he had 51 centuries in the format. On the other hand, he made his ODI appearances in 463 games to score 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83, where he struck runs at a strike rate of 86.23. Also, he was also the first player in the format to score a double-century. Meanwhile, he also made a lone T20I appearance against South Africa in 2006.

2. Virat Kohli | 550

Virat Kohli is second in terms of playing the most number of international matches for India. Kohli, who began his international career in 2008, scored a total of 27599 runs at an average of 52.36 in 550 matches, in which 82 centuries have come from his bat. Kohli's highest score in international cricket has been 254* runs. 

Kohli has represented India in 123 Test matches, while he has made 302 and 125 appearances in ODI and T20Is. Kohli has dominated in all three formats, where ODI has been his forte with 14,180 runs at an average of 57.88, with his 51 centuries. On the other hand, he has 9,230 runs in Test cricket, while having 4,188 runs in the duration of his T20I career.

3. MS Dhoni | 535

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has retired after the 2019 World Cup from international cricket. Debuting in the year 2004, MS Dhoni went on to play 535 matches for India where he amassed a total of 17,092 runs while averaging 44.74 across formats. During this, 15 centuries have come from his bat. Under Dhoni's captaincy, the Indian team won the T20 World Cup, Champions Trophy and ODI World Cup titles.

The Indian wicketkeeper batter was the most reliable player in ODI cricket with 10,773 runs in 350 matches. While he made 90 Test appearances to score 4,876 runs, whereas he played 98 matches in the shortest format with 1,617 runs during his career.

4. Rahul Dravid | 504

Rahul Dravid has played cricket for the Indian team from 1996 to 2012. During this time, he featured in a total of 504 matches for the Men in Blue, while scoring a total of 24,064 runs at an average of 45.57. He scored 48 centuries in international cricket.

Dravid, also called as The Wall, was one of the most celebrated players of his time with 164 Test appearances powered by 344 ODI games, while he played a lone T20I match. In Test cricket, Dravid was a beast with 13,288 runs, whereas in one-day cricket, he was at his best with 10,889 runs. Dravid has also been the coach of Team India and under his coaching the Indian team won the T20 World Cup 2024 title.

Also Read: Most Test Centuries in Cricket History

5. Rohit Sharma | 499*

Rohit Sharma played his first international cricket match for the Indian team in 2007. He is just one game away from the record figure of 500 after featuring in 499 matches so far in his overall international career.

Now, Rohit has retired from T20I and Test cricket. He is currently playing in ODIs. In his combined career, Sharma has amassed 19,700 runs at an average of 42.18, while he has scored a total of 49 centuries in all forms of the game for India.

Additionally, Rohit led India to back-to-back two ICC trophies, the 2024 T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy 2025. He has five centuries in the T20I format for India. Moreover, with 11,168 runs in 273 ODIs, he is also one of the top-notch run-scorers.

The controversy over the key members of the Indian Test team not being selected for major domestic cricket tournaments continues to grow. Now The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has expressed strong displeasure over the exclusion of top international players like KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj from the South Zone team for the upcoming Duleep Trophy.

After this, the Board has officially written a letter to all the state associations asking them to give priority to the selection of centrally contracted players for this opening tournament of the domestic season.

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Many big names were not included

South Zone announced its team on July 27. Many big names like KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna and Sai Sudharsan were not included in it.

The Duleep Trophy, which begins in Bengaluru on August 28, is considered an important platform for domestic and national level talents. The board did not like the decision of the South Zone to not include these players in the team despite their availability during the off-season.

Abey Kuruvilla wrote the email

BCCI General Manager of Cricket Operations Abey Kuruvilla addressed the issue in an email sent to zonal coordinators and state units last week. According to the reports, Kuruvilla stressed the importance of ensuring the participation of all available Indian players to maintain the prestige and competitive level of the Duleep Trophy. 

Kuruvilla wrote in the email, “To uphold its prestige and ensure the highest quality of competition, it’s imperative that all currently available India players are selected for their respective zonal teams. Requesting the Zonal Convenors to ensure that all the current India players who are available to play Duleep trophy should be picked.”

“All players, contracted or otherwise, who make themselves available for selection into Team India, shall participate in domestic matches conducted by BCCI,” 

“In case any player opts not to participate in any domestic cricket tournaments in spite of availability, he/she shall not be considered for selection unless a prior recommendation is obtained to skip the match/tournament from the National coach and the chairman of the selection committee, and prior approval from the BCCI. In case any leave is granted, the same shall be considered on the basis of some valid and cogent reason.” the email said.

Instructions to give priority to domestic cricket

This directive is in line with the BCCI's policy of making participation of international players mandatory in domestic competitions. The board had previously warned players against giving priority to the IPL over first-class cricket and earlier this year reminded all contracted players to remain committed to the domestic calendar.

However, this instruction from BCCI has come after South Zone announced its team. It is still not clear whether the selectors will make any changes in their list or not. Tilak Verma was made the captain of the team.

Also Read: Duleep Trophy: Shardul Thakur to lead the West Zone; no Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara in the squad

Questions were raised on international players

Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh and Shreyas Iyer among many other players are expected to participate in the tournament representing their respective regions.

The state associations have previously expressed concern that the automatic inclusion of Indian stars in the regional teams overlooks Ranji players who have performed consistently throughout the season.

Many have argued that matches such as India A tours and Board President's XI would be a more suitable platform for international players, leaving regional tournaments as a rewarding avenue for domestic players.

The ICC Women's World Cup 2025 is to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka and a total of 8 teams are to participate in it. But even before the tournament starts, a big change has been made in its schedule.

After the stampede in Bengaluru, the ICC has now decided to shift the matches to be held at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to the ground in Navi Mumbai, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Friday.

Also Read: ICC Women’s World Cup 2025: Indian squad announced, Shefali Verma not in the team

Matches cancelled in Bengaluru due to RCB stampede case

After 17 years of long wait, RCB team finally won the IPL 2025 title. After this, RCB players gathered at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to celebrate the victory. There was a huge crowd to see them and after this many fans lost their lives due to a stampede.

Then the Karnataka government formed a commission, which declared the Bengaluru ground unsafe for big events. Now after this, the ICC has decided not to hold matches on the Bengaluru ground.

Matches will be held at Navi Mumbai ground

The match between India and Sri Lanka was to be held on 30 September at Bengaluru ground, which will now be played at Guwahati ground. The match between England and South Africa was also scheduled to be held on 3 October, which will now be held in Guwahati. The match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on 20 October was to be played at Colombo ground, which will now be played at Navi Mumbai ground. 

On the other hand, Navi Mumbai has got two more matches to be played in Bengaluru. These include India vs New Zealand (23 October) and India vs Bangladesh (26 October). There is also a strong possibility that the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 final will be held either in Navi Mumbai or Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Also Read: India Cricket team's performance in every ICC Women's World Cup

Jay Shah expressed satisfaction about the new venue

"Navi Mumbai has emerged as a genuine home for women’s cricket in recent years. The support it has received during international fixtures and the Women’s Premier League has been remarkable, creating an atmosphere that elevates the players and inspires fans. I am certain that the same energy will define the big matches of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup as it returns to India after 12 years," Jay Shah said in an ICC release.

“We stand at a pivotal moment in the journey of the women’s game. This World Cup has the potential to be remembered as one of those defining milestones that shaped the sport’s future, not only in India but across the cricketing world.

“While unforeseen circumstances required us to adjust the schedule and replace a venue, we are pleased to now have a line-up of five world-class venues that will showcase the very best of the women’s game. The stage is set, and I am confident this tournament will capture imaginations and inspire a new generation of fans.”

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has extended the contract of Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar. According to the report, he will remain in this position till June 2026. The decision came just two days after India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad announcement. Former fast bowler Agarkar was made the chairman of Team India's selection committee in July 2023.

Also Read: Five things from Asia Cup team announcement press conference

The contract was renewed before IPL 2025

According to the report, Agarkar's contract was renewed ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. During his tenure, the Indian team won titles and also saw changes (in Tests and T20s). The BCCI had extended his contract till June 2026 and he had accepted the offer a few months ago.

“Under his tenure the Indian team had won titles and had seen transition (of the Tests and T20) too. The BCCI had extended his contract till June 2026 and he had accepted the offer a few months back,” a BCCI official said.

Indian cricket team under Agarkar's tenure

During Ajit Agarkar's tenure, Team India won the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy earlier this year. Apart from this, Team India also reached the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Where it lost to Australia.

Agarkar has also overseen leadership changes. Shubman Gill became Test captain. Suryakumar Yadav took charge of the T20I side. Meanwhile, senior stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma now play only ODIs. Ravichandran Ashwin has retired completely.

S Sharath could lose his place

Agarkar currently works with SS Das, Subroto Banerjee, Ajay Ratra and S Sharath. But changes are expected at the BCCI annual meeting in September.

Reports say S Sharath could lose his place. He has served close to four years as selector, the maximum allowed by BCCI rules. Sharath earlier headed the junior selection panel before joining the senior one in 2023. BCCI will soon invite applications to fill the vacancy. Officials are largely happy with the rest of the panel. Only Sharath’s role looks under review for now.

Changes will also be made for women’s and junior panels

The shake-up will not stop with the men’s committee. The BCCI will also invite applications for the women’s and junior selectors. Neetu David, head of the women’s panel, and members Arati Vaidya and Mithu Mukherjee, complete their terms this season. The junior men’s panel, led by Thilak Naidu and others, may also see changes.

Also Read: ICC Women’s World Cup 2025: Indian squad announced, Shefali Verma not in the team

Agarkar's international career

Ajit Agarkar has taken 349 international wickets in his career. He has taken 58 wickets in Tests, 288 in ODIs and 3 wickets in T20 Internationals.

Agarkar was also a part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in 2007. He scored 15 runs and took one wicket in 2 matches of the tournament. India won the title by defeating Pakistan in the final of the tournament held in South Africa.

Agarkar is the fastest Indian batsman to score a half century in ODIs. He scored a half century in 21 balls against Zimbabwe in the year 2000. He has also completed the fastest 50 wickets in ODIs for India. He achieved this feat in 23 matches.