Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has returned home due to personal reasons, ruling him out of the third T20I against South Africa, with the BCCI stating that updates on his availability for the remaining matches will be provided later. Captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed the development at the toss on December 14, 2025, revealing that Bumrah had gone back home, prompting the inclusion of young pacer Harshit Rana in the playing XI.
The BCCI later issued a brief statement acknowledging the situation and promising further clarity in due course, leaving uncertainty over Bumrah's participation in the final two games of the five-match series. The absence of Bumrah, who recently became the first Indian bowler to claim 100 wickets across all three international formats, is a significant blow for India as they aim to take a series lead after the 1-1 deadlock. All-rounder Axar Patel also missed the contest due to illness, with wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav stepping in as the second change.
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Suryakumar opted to bowl first, citing early dew and confidence in the bowling attack on a wicket expected to remain good throughout. He emphasized the need for a strong comeback after South Africa's dominant display in the second T20I, urging the team to remain fearless and focused for the full duration of the match.
India's playing XI for the third T20I featured Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakravarthy. The hosts looked to exploit the conditions under lights at the picturesque Himalayan venue.
With key players sidelined, attention turned to the younger replacements and core members like Hardik Pandya, who neared the milestone of 100 T20I wickets, as India sought to regain momentum in the tightly contested series.
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