Suryakumar Yadav and co. had a great start to the five-match T20I series when they thrashed South Africa by 101 runs in Cuttack. But that happiness didn't stay long, as they were humiliated in the second T20I in New Chandigarh and lost the game by 51 runs. South Africa outpowered India in both departments.
That was not just a defeat; it was a statement made against this Indian T20I side. With the T20 World Cup 2026 just 7-8 months away, India are struggling in some areas. This series will be very important for the Men in Blue. The poor form, bad selection, unnecessary batting changes, and unwanted experimentation have certainly put India under criticism.
India now have 8 matches before they will play the first game of the T20 World Cup 2026. The last defeat was an eye-opener, which exposed several areas of concern. The third game is scheduled on Sunday at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. India can't afford to lose it. So, do India make some changes? In this article, we will talk about the crucial changes that India should make to do well in Dharamsala.
IND vs SA: 3 Changes India should make in Dharamsala to win the 3rd T20I vs SA
1. Sanju Samson in, Jitesh Sharma out
A batter who slammed centuries against South Africa in South Africa is warming the bench. Is it stubbornness or bad luck for Sanju Samson, who is at the peak of his form but is only carrying drinks for India? Samson has to shift to the middle order since Shubman Gill has arrived on the scene.
Gill doesn't have a single fifty in his last 14 T20I innings. This year, he has scored 263 runs in 14 innings at an average of 23.90. It is the lowest number for an Indian opener in years. It looks like India want to cement Gill at the top, which doesn't look good at the moment. He is not scoring and is also putting other batters under pressure.
Samson had a successful stint as opener with Abhishek Sharma. The duo complemented each other and were successful. Hence, India should bring in Samson in place of Jitesh Sharma and promote him at the top. Gill can bat at no. 3, as India is trying Axar Patel, who hasn't done much either.
2. Shivam Dube out, Kuldeep Yadav in
India want to strengthen their batting and is going with only three specialist bowlers. Shivam Dube is batting at no. 8, and him batting at that position is just a waste of talent. In two games, he has scored 11 or 1. When your top seven batters struggle, what will the guy at no. 8 do?
Dube hasn't bowled much, and whenever he does, he goes for runs. That is where India should bring in Kuldeep Yadav for the third game. Kuldeep ended the ODI series with the most wickets. He took nine wickets in just three games, and South Africa found it hard to pick him.
He might go for runs, but not every South African batter can read him, and he just needs a few good balls to give India breakthroughs. Hence, India should stick with seven batters and bring in Kuldeep to strengthen their bowling.
3. Stick with settled batting order
Since Gautam Gambhir has taken over the coaching, India have not had a settled batting unit. There have been consistent changes, and apart from openers, there is no one who has batted at the same number for 2-3 consistent games. As we have seen in this series. Axar Patel has batted in the top order.
He has failed to score quick runs and also chewed up balls. He has scored 44 runs off 42 balls in two innings. Rather, India can utilize him well down the order. India should give Suryakumar Yadav or Tilak Varma a long rope in the top order. If Gill is a misfit, then Tilak, who has scored consecutive T20I centuries against South Africa, can bat at no. 3, followed by Suryakumar, Hardik, and others.