A massive crowd turned up outside the iconic Barabati Stadium in Cuttack to acquire the tickets for India vs South Africa 1st T20I. Thousands of fans queued up for offline tickets, leading to a stampede-like situation as the crowd increased beyond control.
India and South Africa are set to clash in the T20Is after the Test and ODI legs of the tour. India dominated the first ODI and South Africa bounced back in the second to set up a decider in Vishakhapatnam. The T20I opener at Cuttack has naturally
drawn massive interest, especially since it records Hardik Pandya’s return to action after more than two months of injury-related absence. The release of tickets, both online and offline, triggered immense demand, leading to crowd mismanagement and safety concerns around the stadium premises.
The ticket sale at Barabati Stadium began early in the morning, but fans were already lined up for hours before the counters opened. Within minutes, the queues stretched over several lanes and roads surrounding the venue. Eyewitnesses reported pushing and people climbing barricades in a desperate attempt to get their hands on tickets. Videos on social media showed fans struggling to maintain decorum as police personnel attempted to control the crowd. Authorities later confirmed that the situation was 'close to a stampede,' though thankfully no major injuries were reported.
Watch the video below:
Massive turnout at Barabati Stadium today as fans line up for India–South Africa T20 tickets.
— Soumyajit Pattnaik (@soumyajit) December 5, 2025
One hopes @dcp_cuttack, @cpbbsrctc & @Satya0168 have ensured proper crowd-control arrangements, because the visuals below tell a different story--something essential is missing to keep… pic.twitter.com/heRx96QDFT
India announces T20I squad for South Africa series
Meanwhile, India’s newly announced T20I squad sees Hardik Pandya back from a two-month injury layoff. The all-rounder will join the team after making a strong comeback in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he smashed an unbeaten 77 off 42 for Baroda.
T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill has also been named in the squad despite recovering from a neck injury sustained during the Kolkata Test. His availability, however, depends on clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (COE). Suryakumar Yadav will continue leading the team. It is worth noting, there was no place for Rinku Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who were part of the recent Australia tour but didn’t get substantial opportunities.
Jasprit Bumrah headlines the pace attack, supported by Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. The all-round department features Hardik, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar, while Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy will handle spin duties. The five T20Is will be played across Cuttack, New Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad on December 9, 11, 14, 17, and 19, respectively.
