The Men In Blue’s caravan has rolled on to Lucknow — a little warmer than Dharamsala, but still cold enough to keep the jackets out.
And after taking control of the T20I series against South Africa, the Indian
team decided it was time to switch off temporarily.
Fresh from reclaiming a 2–1 lead, the Indian squad treated themselves to a rare team break on Monday night, stepping out together for a movie outing in Lucknow.
According to sources, it was a full-team affair, with the players catching the new Akshaye Khanna–Ranveer Singh blockbuster Dhurandhar in theatres.
Movie night for Team India 👀 pic.twitter.com/vtvAbHJ3Fe
— Shubman X 77 (@AyushKumar76463) December 16, 2025
The night off was earned.
India had muscled their way back in front by skittling South Africa for just 117 in seam-friendly conditions in Dharamsala. With Jasprit Bumrah on leave, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana grabbed the moment, striking early and setting the tone with three wickets inside the powerplay. The pressure never eased.
Aiden Markram battled hard with a gritty half-century, but South Africa were always chasing par. On a surface that offered plenty to the bowlers, they finished at least 20 runs short of a competitive total, despite boasting a strong seam attack of their own.
India’s chase was calm, if not flawless. Abhishek Sharma’s brisk 35 off 18 balls ensured the target never felt threatening, allowing India to absorb a minor wobble without panic. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube chipped in with wickets to keep South Africa pinned back, but it was Varun Chakravarthy who shut the door completely.
The mystery spinner delivered a miserly spell of four overs for 11 runs and two wickets, snuffing out any faint hope of a late twist. One of his scalps was Donovan Ferreira — the only other South African batter besides Markram to reach double figures.
With momentum restored and spirits high, India now head into their fourth T20I, set to take place on Wednesday in Lucknow, recharged.
