IND vs SA 1st T20I Live Streaming: When and where to watch the first T20 match free in India

IND vs SA 1st T20I Live Streaming: After the tests and ODIs, India will now face South Africa in the first T20I of the three-match series today (December 9) at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, opening a crucial run-up to the T20 World Cup 2026. Both teams enter the contest looking to correct recent mistakes and settle combinations early, making the opening game important for their plans ahead. India lost the test series 2-0 Test. However, the ODI series that followed offered some relief as India bounced back with a 2-1 win. With that, the Men in Blue now have a chance to claim back-to-back white-ball series against the Proteas.

India vs South Africa 1st T20: Match details

India vs South Africa first T20 match will be played on December 9
India vs South Africa first T20 Venue: Barabati Stadium, Cuttack
IND vs SA first T20 match time: The India vs South Africa 1st T20I will start at 7 PM IST

IND vs SA 1st T20I Live telecast: Star Sports Network
India vs South Africa 1st T20I Live streaming: JioHotstar app and website

India vs South Africa squads

India squad
Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar.

South Africa squad
Aiden Markram (Captain), Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Marco Jansen, Quinton de Kock (WK), Donovan Ferreira (WK), Tristan Stubbs, Ottneil Baartman, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje.

Why India vs South Africa T20I series matters

The T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka is only weeks away in February 2026. Both teams will use this series to test their squads, evaluate form, and lock in combinations. The Barabati Stadium clash becomes the first testing ground for fresh line-ups and new strategies.