Former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn has expressed that the return of India’s vice-captain Shubman Gill for the upcoming T20I series, beginning on December 9 in Cuttack, will generate significant
excitement among Indian fans.
Gill suffered a neck injury during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata last month and underwent rehabilitation before being cleared by the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. After India’s 2-1 ODI series victory over South Africa on Saturday, head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed Gill’s readiness for the five-match T20I series.
Steyn remarked in a video posted by Star Sports on their ‘X’ account that Gill’s return would greatly excite Indian fans.
From @ShubmanGill to India’s new T20I chapter post the 2024 World Cup, #DaleSteyn highlights three key things to watch in the opener! 🇮🇳 🆚 🇿🇦
Next up ▶ #INDvSA, 1st T20I 👉 TUE, 9th DEC, 6:00 PM pic.twitter.com/aIHdNipEzY
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 7, 2025
“Sounds like he’s back for India, so that makes every fan in India pretty excited to have him back,” Steyn was quoted as saying.
In addition to Gill, India will also benefit from the return of seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who had been sidelined with a quadriceps injury sustained during the Asia Cup in September.
Steyn also shared his enthusiasm for the return of South African batter David Miller, who is set to play after recovering from a grade one right hamstring strain, which caused him to miss the T20I series against Pakistan.
“He’s back for South Africa. Big hitting David Miller, he hits the ball out of the ground. I’m excited to watch him back,” added Steyn.
Steyn concluded by recalling the last time he watched South Africa play India in a T20 match.
“Last time I watched South Africa play India in a T20 was in a World Cup final in Barbados. It’s going to be a great thing to watch and very excited to be a part of it,” concluded Steyn.
IND Vs SA – T20I Schedule
Following the first game in Cuttack, India and South Africa will play T20I matches in New Chandigarh (December 11), Dharamsala (December 14), Lucknow (December 17), and Ahmedabad (December 19).
(With inputs from Agencies)
