IND vs SA: Time to fine-tune T20 blueprint

LUCKNOW: Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav walk into the fourth T20I here with numbers that invite scrutiny rather than comfort. For Gill, the questions are familiar — elegance undisputed, impact debated — while for Suryakumar, the lean patch feels more jarring given his status as India’s most destructive T20 batter of the past few years.

Yet, as India take on South Africa at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, the broader narrative is not about panic or pressure but about patience, planning and purpose.With India leading the series 2-1 after wins in Cuttack and Dharam shala, the spotlight is firmly on how this side is shaping itself for the bigger prize: the T20 World Cup, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from Feb 7 to March 8, 2026. This series has functioned less like a short-term contest and more like a carefully calibrated rehearsal.

India are winning, but they are also experimenting, sometimes subtly, sometimes visibly, as they search for the right blend of explosiveness, adaptability and balance.

“The lineup is settled. There is always something where every team needs to try before a big tournament like the World Cup. All players know what the lineup is going to be. In the dressing room we know, it is just that we want to try for different situations and what we can do accordingly,” all rounder Shivam Dube said.

The scrutiny on Gill and Surya is legitimate, and the team management is acutely aware that form ebbs and flows.

Roles, clarity and confidence, though, must be locked in well before a World Cup at home.

Gill’s continued run at the top is a deliberate investment. His T20 numbers do not yet scream the dominance expected of him, but India are betting on his ability to evolve rather than reinvent. “Shubman is someone who is performing since a long time for the Indian team.

Form can fluctuate, but as a batter he is one of our best and the team backs him,” Dube said.For Surya, the lean patch is more about rhythm than relevance. “From the time Surya has debuted, he and Virat bhai have the same number of Man of the Match awards (16). He is one player who can win the team five games in a row. If he is not in form now, it means a purple patch is going to come very soon. You will see him scoring lots of runs when the team actually needs them,” Dube said.The fourth T20I in Lucknow, therefore, becomes a crucial check point in India’s journey. The Ekana Cricket Stadium is not a venue that flatters excess. It tests judgment and adaptability — qualities India should keep in mind during the World Cup across Indian and Sri Lankan conditions.