CENTURION: Tilak Varma struck an unbeaten century to steer India to victory over South Africa in the third T20I here at SuperSport Park on Wednesday.
With this 11-run victory, India are now leading the four-match series 2-1.
South Africa, while chasing a mammoth 22-run target, managed 208-7 courtesy of disciplined bowling by India.
Marco Jansen played a blistering knock of 54 runs from 17 balls, which included five sixes and four boundaries.
However, he could not take his team across the line as he fell to Arshadeep Singh in the last over after a DRS overturned an LBW appeal.
Prior to him, Heinrich Klaasen struck 41 off 22 with the help of four sixes to keep South Africa in the game amidst falling wickets.
Arshdeep Singh starred for India with three wickets, while Varun Chakravarthy took two crucial wickets of Reeza Hendricks (21) and Aiden Markram (29).
India lost Sanju Samson on the second ball of the innings after being invited to bat, however, the visitors made a resounding comeback in the next few overs.
Abhishek Sharma was joined by Tilak Varma and together they smashed 107 runs in 52 balls, hitting South Africa bowlers to all parts of the ground.
Sharma struck 50 runs from 25 balls, which featured five sixes and three fours before getting out stumped off Keshav Maharaj.
India lost two more wickets in quick succession before Rinku Singh joined Varma with the scoreboard reading 132-4 in 12.5 overs.
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Varma stitched a one-sided partnership of 58 runs with Singh, who scored a mere eight runs. Ramandeep Singh hit 15 off six after Andile Simelane castled Singh.
Meanwhile, Varma remained unbeaten at 107 from 56 balls with the help of eight boundaries and seven sixes to take the team’s total to 219-6 in their allocated 20 overs.
For South Africa, Maharaj and Simelane took two wickets each, while Marco Jansen bagged one.
South Africa Playing XI: Ryan Rickelton, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Andile Simelane, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Lutho Sipamla
India Playing XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy
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