India gained an early advantage in the second T20I against South Africa in Mullanpur after spinner Varun Chakaravarthy produced a moment of brilliance to dismiss Reeza Hendricks. The breakthrough came just when the Proteas opener was looking to settle in, and it instantly shifted momentum in India’s favour after they opted to bowl first.
Varun Chakaravarthy strikes with a dream delivery
The moment arrived on the very first ball of the fifth over. Introduced into the attack early, Chakaravarthy wasted no time making an impact. He sent down a beautifully disguised carrom ball—pitched on a good length, skidding through with subtle deviation. Hendricks, expecting room to free his arms, rocked back to pull but was completely undone by the low bounce and sharp angle.
The ball sneaked past his attempted shot and crashed into the stumps, sending the Mullanpur crowd into a roar. For Chakaravarthy, it was the perfect way to announce himself in the contest, reaffirming why he has become one of India’s most trusted defensive T20 bowlers.
Here’s the video:
#VarunChakaravarthy wastes no time, strikes on the very first ball! Team India right on top. 🔥🇮🇳#INDvSA, 2nd T20I, LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/BI0R1pksPm pic.twitter.com/LNtBWfnKm4
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 11, 2025
South Africa make 3 modifications, India unchanged
Both sides approached the second T20I with contrasting strategies in terms of team selection. India opted for stability, fielding the same playing XI that featured in the series opener, signalling confidence in their balance and execution. South Africa, however, made three notable changes to reshape their lineup. Tristan Stubbs, Keshav Maharaj and Anrich Nortje were left out, making way for Hendricks, George Linde and Ottneil Baartman. The Proteas clearly aimed to strengthen both their top order and all-round depth, while also bringing in Baartman’s pace to adapt to the Mullanpur surface.
Playing XI of both sides
South Africa: Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram (c), Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Marco Jansen, Lutho Sipamla, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman
India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh
Also READ: Shahid Afridi mocks Gautam Gambhir; backs Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for ODI World Cup 2027
For latest cricket news & updates, visit CricketTimes.com.
