IND versus SA 5th T20I:  In the fifth and final Twenty20 International on Friday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, rampant India defeated South Africa by 30 runs and ended 2025 with a 3-1 series triumph with to brilliant fifties from Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma, and Varun Chakravarthy’s four-for.

Tilak scored a smooth 73 to help India to a formidable 231/5, while Pandya hammered home a 16-ball half-century, the second quickest for India. South Africa’s reply was on course as long as Quinton de Kock (65) remained in the middle, but they ended at 201/8 after losing seven wickets for 81 runs.

In powerplay, De Kock targeted Arshdeep Singh (1/47) after India held Jasprit Bumrah (4-0-17-2) back for later stages. The left-arm bowler hit six fours and a six in two overs to set the tone for the Proteas.

However, with a lopsided strategy pursuing 230+, De Kock was the only one who put in the effort in the powerplay, as Reeza Hendricks (13) had again another poor performance. Shivam Dube’s outstanding one-handed catch at midwicket for Chakravarthy’s maiden wicket terminated his stay. Relentlessly, De Kock and Dewald Brevis (31) combined to score 51 off 23 balls for the second wicket, and at the midway point, South Africa was in a prime position to shoot down the target.

Bumrah foxed De Kock with a shot that had the left-hander making a return catch, which the Indian clutched on to in the eleventh over as runs were pouring in from both ends. Pandya (1/41) defeated Brevis in the subsequent match.

But Chakravarthy (4-0-53-4), who struck twice in as many balls in the 13th over, really put the Proteas under pressure. Aiden Markram attempted to paddle sweep, but he was stuck in front of him. He then unleashed a masterpiece that slipped past Donovan Ferreira’s defense and pegged the off-stump. South Africa lost the plot from 120/1 in the 11th over, but David Miller’s mishit off Arshdeep in the 15th over ended their chances.

Earlier, Tilak scored a fluid 73 to help the hosts set a formidable 232-run mark, while Pandya (63) achieved the second-fastest T20I fifty for India.

Pandya’s eighth half-century (63 from 25 balls) came off only 16 balls in a flurry of action that included five sixes and as many fours. It is now the second-fastest half-century for any Indian, with Yuvraj Singh’s 12-ball record against England at Kingsmead in 2007 staying firmly at the top. In a spectacular fourth-wicket stand with Tilak, he put on 105 off only 44 balls just as India’s momentum had stalled and they were at 231/5.