India and South Africa are set to face each other in an exciting final as they head into the fifth and final T20I in Ahmedabad on Friday, with India holding a 2–1 lead. The series has unfolded in contrasting fashion, witnessing shifts in momentum and individual mastery from both sides. The fourth match, abandoned due to dense fog, meanwhile, has only added to the sense of excitement surrounding this decider.

Across the series, India have found success through their bowling brilliance, while South Africa have focused on spreading opportunities across their squad. For India, the biggest talking point remains their batting consistency at the top.

Suryakumar Yadav is still searching for his best rhythm in the series. Shubman Gill has also struggled to convert promising starts into decisive scores. These issues have sparked discussion around the potential inclusion of Sanju Samson, whose past records at the top have been positive. Meanwhile, firebrand Abhishek Sharma has been outstanding, providing terrific starts at the top. The middle order is an area of strength for India. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube remain central to controlling the tempo during the middle and death overs. With the ball, India will once again rely on their pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh to set the tone.

South Africa, meanwhile, have approached the series with an eye on developing depth, rotating players to build versatility. However, with the series on the line, they will depend on Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram to anchor the innings. Dewald Brevis brings an X-factor in the middle with his fearless batting. South African bowling attack will be led by Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje.

Head-to-head

Matches - 35

IND won - 20

SA won - 13

No result - 2

India possible XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill/ Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy

South Africa possible XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (c), Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman