India capped off a dominant home season with a commanding all-round display in Ahmedabad, defeating South Africa by 30 runs in the fifth and final T20I to seal the series 3–1. The victory marked India’s eighth consecutive T20I series win, a streak stretching back to December 2023. A raucous Narendra Modi Stadium witnessed momentum swings, explosive strokeplay and decisive middle-over bowling. While South Africa threatened briefly through Quinton de Kock’s counterattack, India’s depth and composure ultimately proved decisive.

IND vs SA: Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma power India to a towering total

India’s imposing total of 232 for five was built on a foundation of fearless intent and sustained acceleration, with Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma turning a solid platform into a statement score. After an aggressive powerplay from Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson ensured early momentum, the innings briefly stalled following Samson’s dismissal just as he looked set. That lull was emphatically shattered once Pandya walked in. Embracing the atmosphere at his former IPL home, Pandya launched a brutal assault, punishing anything short or full and muscling even well-directed deliveries deep into the stands.

His 16-ball half-century, the second fastest by an Indian in T20Is, flipped the match on its head and left South Africa scrambling for containment. At the other end, Tilak provided balance and clarity, rotating strike smartly before unfurling crisp drives and calculated lofted shots. The duo’s 105-run stand off just 44 balls transformed a competitive score into an intimidating one. Tilak’s composure ensured the momentum never dipped after Pandya’s dismissal, while late contributions kept the run rate soaring. By the end of the innings, South Africa were staring at a daunting chase on a surface offering little margin for error.

Also READ: Top 5 fastest fifties for India in T20I cricket ft. Hardik Pandya – IND vs SA

IND vs SA: Varun Chakravarthy triggers South African collapse as India shut the door

South Africa’s pursuit began with intent as Quinton de Kock attacked early, particularly targeting Arshdeep Singh to keep the asking rate in check. Even as Washington Sundar bowled a quietly effective powerplay spell, the visitors surged to a strong start, reaching 99 for one by the ninth over with de Kock in full flow. The contest hung delicately balanced at the halfway mark, but India seized control through precision and patience. The turning point arrived with Jasprit Bumrah’s timely return, when de Kock mistimed a slower offcutter and offered a sharp return catch, ending South Africa’s best hope.

From there, Varun Chakravarthy took centre stage. Mixing pace, dip and sharp turn, he dismantled the middle order, removing key batters and choking scoring options as pressure mounted. Pandya complemented him with clever changes of pace, forcing miscues into the deep on the vast square boundaries. A rapid cluster of wickets turned a chase into a scramble, and once Varun bowled George Linde with a classic googly, the outcome was beyond doubt. Though Marco Jansen briefly threatened with late blows, Bumrah slammed the door shut, ensuring India closed the match with authority.

Also WATCH: Shivam Dube takes a sublime one handed catch to dismiss Reeza Hendricks during 5th T20I in Ahmedabad

Here’s how fans reacted: 

Say whatever you want….after Virat and Rohit, if there’s any true star in Indian cricket, it’s Hardik Pandya. His style, his aura….on the field or off it….everything is different. He’s one of a kind, in his own league.

— Dheeraj Singh (@Dheerajsingh_) December 19, 2025

It’s not easy defending targets at Ahmedabad, Hardik and Tilak partnership ensured India got an above par score. VC is a weapon in the middle overs, and Bumrah is a cheat code. Good series win against a really good SA side. Well played Team India 👏 #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/SHNhiiGASe

— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) December 19, 2025

This is brilliant hitting from Hardik 👏

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) December 19, 2025

Master of trickery aka V4RUN 🔥

📸: @BCCI

Varun Chakaravarthy | Play With Fire | IND vs SA pic.twitter.com/ROGT8pA8jP

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) December 19, 2025

MI scouts peaked with the discovery of Hardik. A guy who could smack 16 ball 50 can also give you 3 or even 4 overs on any given day. Can’t grow such a clutch cricketer even in lab. pic.twitter.com/43oY1ae1wO

— Heisenberg ☢ (@internetumpire) December 19, 2025

HARDIK PANDYA PLAYS CRICKET JUST TO FARM AURAAAA

— Kevin (@imkevin149) December 19, 2025

Sorry, Akshaye Khanna, but Hardik Pandya is the biggest aura farmer

— ` (@chixxsays) December 19, 2025

Number 1 T20I bowler for a reason!!!!! Varun Chakravarthy magic.🪄

Bumrah + Varun is a nightmare for the opposition. 🎃

— Bhawana (@cricbhawana) December 19, 2025

Varun so far has been a cheat code for us. Rare W from GG

— Udit (@udit_buch) December 19, 2025

India won the T20I series 3-1 💯🏆#INDvsSA #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/eEWW1GMV5f

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) December 19, 2025

Indian cricket administrator and Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Jay Shah presents Argentine footballer Lionel Messi with a personalised Indian cricket jerseys next to Argentine footballer Rodrigo De Paul (R) and Uruguayan footballer Luis Suarez (L) at Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium during the Lionel Messi G.O.A.T Tour on December 15, 2025 in Delhi, India. (Photo by Ayush Kumar/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: “What this tells me is that we do love the sport, but perhaps not enough to support own players,” wrote India international and FC Goa’s Sandesh Jhingan on Instagram. That perfectly encapsulates the state of football, and our society to a huge degree, in the past week.As Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul’s three day tour of India wrapped up, having covered Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, with tens of thousands filling up stadiums in each city. Rs 100s of crores were spent by the organisers in bringing the trio to the country. Another tens of crores were spent by the fans to get their glimpse. More, or equivalent, were spent by the sponsors, corporates and broadcasters.

Droves of politicians, corporate honchos and celebrities posed alongside Messi for their moment of social media fame. Cringeworthy videos did the rounds as office bearers, spouse of a state CM and anyone with any clout, desperately looked to get within inches of the magician for their Instagram cred.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!One doesn’t need to go far to look for irony. Bhaichung Bhutia, former India captain and a legend of Indian football, struggled to get inside the stadium in New Delhi, despite being an official guest. As one security official after another failed to recognise him, it only took a late phone call for the man who made 84 India appearances to be brought to the stage.

Argentine footballer Lionel Messi (C), Rodrigo De Paul (R) and Uruguayan footballer Luis Suarez interact with each other at Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium during the Lionel Messi G.O.A.T Tour on December 15, 2025 in Delhi, India. (Photo by Ayush Kumar/Getty Images)

The irony doesn’t end there. With organisers, sponsors, fans, broadcasters all spending big bucks on this tour, a month back, a Request For Proposal (RFP) floated by the All India Football Federation for the Indian Super League — which sought an annual payment of Rs 37.5 crore — didn’t find any takers. Neither did anyone step up for the I-League, the second tier, with an annual payment requirement of Rs 4 crore.Equally ironically, two of the sponsors of the G.O.A.T. Tour – JSW and RPSG Group – are losing amid this logjam in Indian football. Their top bosses had a meet-and-greet with the Argentine, all while their ISL clubs – Bengaluru FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant – are facing uncertainty over their futures.As things stand, there is no timeline on the start of the ISL or the I-League seasons. In the latest meeting with the Sports Ministry and the AIFF, ISL clubs suggested a “financial reset” to get the ball – quite literally – rolling again. The clubs said player salaries, officially capped at Rs 16.5 crore, but breached unofficially, need to be revised.

Argentine footballer Lionel Messi plays football with fans during the final leg of his ‘GOAT India Tour 2025’, at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)

Fans spent upwards of Rs 4000 to get a chance of watching Messi walk, wave, say a few words in Spanish. In contrast, the tickets for an ISL game hover between Rs 100-300 and yet the attendances are dropping. Much like the ranking of the Indian national team but that’s a different, extremely depressing, topic.ISL clubs, which spend approximately Rs 60 crore a year, and suffer losses to the tune of Rs 25 crore, are already bleeding with no active football and no clarity of when it will even resume. “Team owners are hanging on to hope while bleeding finances dry. How is this even a reward for backing a sport that not many would touch?,” wrote Bengaluru FC Director of Football Darren Caldeira.The same amount of fan attendance or sponsorship spends could have funded multiple clubs. Alas it went on a ‘sporting event’, where the football was barely kicked. Where Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul were treated as sidekicks. Where Sunil Chhetri, India’s top scorer ever, got fewer headlines than Sachin Tendulkar. Therein, perhaps, lies the great tragedy. But, again, that is a larger, deeper conversation.For now, Messi is gone. Everyone’s gotten their photos and videos to circulate for months at end. The euphoria will subside. Everyone will move on, except Indian football. That, for a myriad of reasons, has hit a roadblock. “I hope this occasion sparks a deeper conversation not just about loving football, but about sustaining it at home,” added Jhinghan in his Instagram note.

To say there is no interest in football, or purchasing power for Indian fans, is inaccurate. And this Messi tour has made it abundantly clear. Unfortunately, there are no takers of Indian football. Maybe, Indian football is not sexy enough for the social media cred of our politicians, celebrities and sponsors.

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir, players Hardik Pandya and Sanju Samson after the team’s victory (PTI Photo/Shashank Parade)

NEW DELHI: India ended the T20I series against South Africa on a high by winning the fifth and final match and sealing the five-match series 3-1 on Friday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. With this win, India have managed to extend their unbeaten streak. They are now on a streak of 10 consecutive series wins (including major tournaments).

With the 4th T20I in Lucknow being abandoned earlier because of heavy fog, everyone wanted to see a full game, and the players didn’t disappoint at all.India put up a big total of 231 for 5 after South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl. The batting effort was led by Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya. Tilak played a steady and attacking knock, scoring 73 runs off 42 balls. Hardik provided the late surge with a quick 63 off just 25 balls, hitting five 4s and five 6s. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma also gave India a strong start at the top.Chasing 232, South Africa began well. Quinton de Kock was in fine form and attacked the Indian bowlers from the start. South Africa matched India’s Powerplay score and stayed in the hunt. When Dewald Brevis joined de Kock, the visitors picked up momentum. The pair played freely and took South Africa to 118 runs at the halfway mark, putting pressure back on the Indian side.At that point, the match seemed evenly balanced. That is when India captain Suryakumar Yadav turned to his most trusted bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah made an immediate impact by dismissing de Kock with a sharp return catch. That wicket changed the game.South Africa suddenly lost their rhythm. From 120 for 1, they slipped to 135 for 5 in a short span. The middle order could not recover from the collapse. Varun Chakaravarthy added to South Africa’s problems with an impressive spell, picking up four wickets and breaking key partnerships.While Varun took the wickets, Bumrah’s spell stood out in a high-scoring match. He finished with excellent figures of 2 wickets for just 17 runs in his four overs, controlling the game when it mattered most.South Africa eventually finished on 201/8 in their 20 overs, falling 30 runs short of the target.With this victory, India won the match by 30 runs and closed the series 3-1. Hardik Pandya, who also took one wicket during his bowling, has been named the Man of the Match.

NAVI MUMBAI: A Vashi based social worker and activist, Madhu Shankar, who had earlier complained against illegal parking by certain commercial establishments in sector 29, was physically attack by a woman on Thursday, which injured Shankar’s wrist.The activist has now sent written complaints to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and the Vashi police station about this assault, and demanded stringent action against such illegalities in this locality.

“A woman who is associated with a fitness centre in Vashi has aggressively come towards me and twisted my arm that resulted in breaking of my glass bangles, and caused a wrist injury. The woman also snatched my bag and phone, but later returned them as I warned her of legal consequences,” said Shakar.She had been regularly writing to the NMMC and the traffic police department about illegal parking in sector 29, which had resulted in lane blockage. While the traffic cops had later taken action against the illegal parking, some of the local residents were angry at this activist and had also verbally threatened her.On her formal complaint to the NMMC commissioner, Kailas Shinde, the case was transferred to the civic encroachment department which has now assured that they will install a ‘No Parking’ notice at the Vashi site.On the other hand, the Vashi police said that they could immediately take down Shankar’s complaint on Thursday because their “computer server was down”, however, a non-cognizable complaint will be soon registered.Meanwhile, Shakar added: “Earlier, I had also got threats from illegal hawkers in Vashi after I complained against them. Some locals who were inconvenienced by my official complaints had also started a signature drive against me. However, I will continue to fight against illegal activities.”

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Dense fog disrupted flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday, leading to the cancellation of at least 177 flights and delays to more than 500 services, PTI reported citing officials.An official said the cancellations included both departures and arrivals, covering some international flights as well. Data from flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed that nearly 500 flights were delayed through the day due to poor visibility conditions.The civil aviation ministry said it was closely coordinating with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), with operational decisions being taken based on real-time weather forecasts. In a post on X, the ministry said airlines were cancelling some flights in advance and informing passengers to avoid unnecessary travel to airports. It added that full refunds and free rescheduling were being offered, and airport directors had been instructed to ensure adequate passenger support.Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which operates the IGIA, said in a post on X at 7.10 pm that airport operations were running normally without disruption, even as flights continued to operate under CAT III conditions due to dense fog. “Both arrivals and departures are taking place, though some flights may experience delays or disruptions,” DIAL said earlier in the day.Air India Express said it cancelled multiple flights from Delhi to destinations such as Pune, Ranchi, Bagdogra, Indore, Patna, Goa, Varanasi and Jodhpur, citing fog conditions. IndiGo also warned of slower operations, saying fluctuating visibility over Delhi NCR and parts of north India had led to changes in flight schedules, with ground teams prioritising safety and visibility norms.IGIA, the country’s busiest airport, typically handles around 1,300 flights daily.