Sanju Samson set an unfortunate milestone as the Indian opener was dismissed for a three-ball duck in the second T20I against South Africa on Sunday in Gqeberha. Although Samson entered the match with high spirits, having become the first Indian to hit back-to-back T20I centuries, his time at the crease was cut short by a clean bowled dismissal from Marco Jansen. This marked Samson’s fourth duck in T20Is this year—the highest by any Indian batter in a single calendar year, surpassing the previous record held by Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli, who each had three.
Meanwhile, spinner Varun Chakravarthy’s brilliant five-wicket haul, his first in international cricket, added flair to the game but was overshadowed by South Africa's resilient chase. Despite India’s modest total of 124 for six on a quick and bouncy pitch, South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs and Gerald Coetzee anchored a crucial eighth-wicket stand of 42 runs, guiding the team to a hard-fought three-wicket victory. Their combined effort halted India’s impressive 11-match winning streak and levelled the four-match series at 1-1.
Chakravarthy’s performance kept South Africa in check as they struggled at 66 for six and then 86 for seven, yet it wasn’t enough to stave off defeat. Stubbs, with an unbeaten 47 off 41 balls, and Coetzee, with a quick 19 off 9, provided the last push needed to surpass India’s score. The South African bowlers’ disciplined line and the pitch’s natural bounce had earlier challenged India’s batters on the St. George's Park pitch, leaving them scrambling to reach a modest total.
With each team now holding a win, the series is set for a compelling showdown in the upcoming matches.