Men in Blue outclass Proteas

BRUTAL PANDYA SLAMS SECOND FASTEST T20I HALF-CENTURY AS INDIA THUMP SOUTH AFRICA BY 30 RUNS TO SEAL 3-1 SERIES WIN

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Indian players pose with the trophy following their victory in the T20 International cricket series against South Africa, at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Friday

(PTI PHOTO)

Rampant India rode on a smashing fifties from Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma and Varun Chakravarthy's four-for to thump South Africa by 30 runs and end 2025 with a 3-1 series victory in the fifth and final T20I, here Friday.

Pandya went hammer and tongs for a 16-ball half-century — the second fastest for India —while Tilak made a fluent 73 to lift India to daunting 231/5. In reply, South Africa were on track as long as Quinton de Kock (65) was in the middle, but lost seven wickets for 81 runs and finished at 201/8.