First boundary for Tilak! Just a nudge off the wrists, and the ball races away through mid-wicket. Tilak Varma completes 1,000 T20I runs with that stroke. Two centuries, four half-centuries and an average of nearly 50!

IND 36/2 (5.3)

Lutho Sipamla into the attack, and the first ball goes for 4 byes! Abhishek gives himself room, looks to hit it, but misses. Quinton de Kock puts in the dive but misses it too, and the ball runs away for 4 behind the stumps.

It's a really decent over after that from Sipamla. He concedes just 2 runs in the rest of his over.

IND 32/2  (5)

Abhishek Sharma gets a nasty blow on the hip from a Marco Jansen delivery, and falls down in pain. He's good to go soon after, and gives a stunning response. Short from Jansen and pulled away for 6 by Abhishek!

IND 25/2 (3.4)

GONE! Suryakumar Yadav looks for the big shot yet again, but this time around Ngidi switches his line and tempts SKY to go for it from off-stump. He ends up chipping up into the air, and a simple catch taken at mid-on by SA captain Aiden Markram. Second wicket for Ngidi.

India 2 down, and in a bit of bother!

IND 17/2 (2.4)

First boundary for SKY! A bit of a loose one from Ngidi, on Suryakumar's pads, and flicked away for 4 through mid-wicket by the Indian captain. Quick outfield here.

Next ball, SIX! Classic SKY. The pick-up shot from Suryakumar Yadav, his signature stroke. 

IND 17/1 (2.3)

Top over from Marco Jansen at the other end. Does not allow Suryakumar Yadav to get a move-on, and limits him to just 1 run the entire over. Suryakumar not quite finding the timing yet: he's on 2 off 7.

IND 7/1 (2)

There has been a bit of merry-go-round regarding India's No. 3 spot in T20I cricket off late, but captain Suryakumar Yadav has come out to bat at 3 after Gill's departure. Big task ahead for SKY, who will hope to stitch a good partnership with Abhishek now.

IND 6/1 (1)

Boundary, and then gone! Shubman Gill starts off with a bang, slams a boundary through third-man. But next ball, he steps out and looks to slog it straight, but gets caught by the fielder at mid-off. Gill departs in the very first over!

IND 5/1 (0.3)

Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill are out to open the batting for India. South Africa have a potent pace attack, featuring Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje and the youngster Lutho Sipamla.

All eyes on Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill then. Gill thrown into the spotlight right after coming back from injury, and he'll have to face the new ball in Cuttack. Abhishek - the No. 1 T20I batter in the world - is in terrific form.

South Africa XI vs India: Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Lutho Sipamla, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje.

India XI vs South Africa: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Suryakumar Yadav confirms that left-arm chinaman spinner Kuldeep Yadav and wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson are not in the playing XI! Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana also miss out.

South Africa have won the toss and opted to bowl! Suryakumar Yadav chuckles as he loses the toss. Aiden Markram decides to put India in to bat. 

We are just about 15 minutes away from toss time at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. This is the first time in over 3 years that a T20I match is being held here. Incidentally, the last T20I here was also between India and South Africa, and the visitors won on that occasion!

For the first time ever, a T20I will be played on a red-soil pitch at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, making it an unpredictable challenge for not just South Africa, but also hosts India. It will be interesting to see what the toss-winning captain chooses to do today.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav has not been in the best of form in T20Is for some time now. He managed a few starts in the recent series against Australia, as well as in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, but a truly big score has eluded him off late. He will be desperate to rediscover that form as India start gearing up for the T20 World Cup 2026.

South Africa were outclassed 3-1 at home by India in a T20I series held in 2024, and the Proteas will no doubt be keen on exacting revenge in this five-match series. Not to forget, India also beat SA in the T20 World Cup 2024 final!

Jasprit Bumrah is 1 wicket away from reaching 100 T20I wickets. If he does so today, he will become the first Indian bowler in cricket history to take 100 international wickets in all three formats (Tests, ODIs, T20Is).

India's Test and ODI captain and T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill is all set to make his return to cricket action today. After extensive recovery at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, Gill is likely to play today. The attention will certainly be on him, if he does feature.

This is the final leg of South Africa's tour of India. SA cleanswept the Tests 2-0. India bounced back and took the ODIs 2-1. Now time for a marathon five-match T20I series to decide the honours.

A very warm welcome to one and all to NDTV Sports, for the live coverage of the 1st T20I between India and South Africa. We're in Cuttack, to begin the five-match series. Stay tuned for the all the live updates from the match!