The India National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Timeline features unforgettable matches, legendary performances, thrilling finishes, and major tournament battles. Since their first ODI meeting in 1991, India and South Africa have built one of international cricket’s most competitive rivalries, creating historic moments across Test matches, ODIs, and T20Is.
From Sachin Tendulkar’s historical innings to India’s memorable 2024 T20 World Cup very last victory, every companies have given cricket enthusiasts plenty of motives to don’t forget this contest. South Africa have additionally introduced some incredible performances, specially in Test cricket and excessive-strain suits.
The competition has continued to expand sooner or later of Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. Here is a have a look at the fundamental moments within the India vs South Africa cricket timeline, which includes key fits, turning factors, and present day outcomes.
India National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Timeline: Quick Overview
| Year | Major Event |
|---|---|
| 1991 | India and South Africa played their first ODI after South Africa returned to international cricket. |
| 1992 | The teams played their first Test series in South Africa. |
| 2006 | India and South Africa began their T20I rivalry. |
| 2007 | India defeated South Africa in the inaugural T20 World Cup. |
| 2010 | Sachin Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 200 in an ODI against South Africa. |
| 2015 | India defeated South Africa 3–0 in a four-match Test series at home. |
| 2018 | India won the ODI series in South Africa 5–1. |
| 2023–24 | The two-match Test series in South Africa finished 1–1. |
| 2024 | India defeated South Africa in the T20 World Cup final by seven runs. |
| 2025 | South Africa defeated India 2–0 in a Test series in India. |
| 2026 | South Africa defeated India by 76 runs in the T20 World Cup Super Eight stage. |
1. 1991: The Rivalry Begins
The competition commenced in November 1991, at the same time as South Africa lower back to global cricket after years of isolation at some point of apartheid. India hosted the group’s first international collection after its move back.
- First ODI: November 10, 1991
- Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
- Result: India obtained with the useful resource of three wickets.
India’s victory made the number one assembly memorable and mounted the begin of a opposition that might increase for the duration of generations.
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2. 1992: The First Test Series
India toured South Africa in 1992–ninety three for the organizations’ first Test series in the direction of each precise. The excursion gave Indian gamers their first most important possibility to check themselves in the direction of South Africa’s tempo attack in its domestic conditions.
The four-Test series included 3 attracts, on the equal time as South Africa received the third Test at Port Elizabeth thru nine wickets. The outcomes showed how difficult remote places situations is probably for India.
3. 2006: India’s Historic Test Victory in South Africa
India’s tour of South Africa in 2006–07 produced a landmark result. India defeated South Africa with the resource of 123 runs inside the first Test at Johannesburg, recording their first Test victory on South African soil.
India made 249 and 236, whilst South Africa had been not noted for 80 4 in their first innings in advance than falling short in the chase.
South Africa recovered to win the collection 2–1, however India’s Johannesburg victory remained a huge milestone within the competition.
4. 2007: India Win at the Inaugural T20 World Cup
The inaugural ICC Men’s T20 World Cup introduced some different memorable India-South Africa conflict.
India scored 153/5, with Rohit Sharma contributing an unbeaten 50 and MS Dhoni making 45. India’s bowlers then placed South Africa under pressure, reducing them to 31/5 in advance than securing a 37-run victory.
The defeat eliminated the hosts from the semi-final race, whilst India superior and went directly to win the in form.
5. 2010: Sachin Tendulkar’s Historic Double Century
One of the most critical person achievements inside the India vs South Africa ODI timeline came on February 24, 2010.
At Gwalior, Sachin Tendulkar have become the number one male cricketer to achieve a double century in guys’s One Day International cricket.
- Sachin Tendulkar’s rating: two hundred no longer out
- India’s favored: 401/3
- South Africa’s preferred: 248
- Result: India received through 153 runs.
Tendulkar’s innings featured outstanding timing, effective strokes, and fantastic cognizance. The landmark modified what fans believed modified into possible in a 50-over worldwide innings.
6. 2011: South Africa Win a World Cup Thriller
The teams met once more during the 2011 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in Nagpur.
India published 296 all out, powered by way of Sachin Tendulkar’s 111 and Gautam Gambhir’s sixty nine. South Africa chased down the target, triumphing through 3 wickets with balls closing.
Dale Steyn have come to be instrumental with the ball, taking five wickets for 50 runs. The give up end result changed right into a reminder that South Africa have to challenge even a sturdy Indian facet in a excessive-strain tournament wholesome.
7. 2015: India’s World Cup Breakthrough
India ultimately recorded their first victory over South Africa at the guys’s ODI World Cup in 2015.
Shikhar Dhawan scored a high-quality 137 from 146 balls, even as Ajinkya Rahane delivered seventy nine from clearly 60 deliveries. India reached 307/7 earlier than bowling South Africa out for 177.
Result: India received with the beneficial useful resource of a hundred thirty runs.
The victory have grow to be big due to the truth South Africa had acquired the groups’ 3 previous ODI World Cup meetings.
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8. 2015–sixteen: India Dominate the Test Series at Home
South Africa toured India for a 4-Test series in 2015. Indian spinners played a tremendous function on pitches that offered large help to spin bowling.
India acquired the gathering 3–0, with the very last Test in Delhi completing in a 337-run victory.
The collection confirmed India’s electricity in home situations and gave the organisation an vital beautify in Test cricket.
9. 2018: India’s Famous ODI Series Win in South Africa
India’s tour of South Africa in 2017–18 become a turning factor in their confined-overs opposition.
South Africa won the Test series 2–1, however India responded strongly in the six-in shape ODI series, winning 5–1.
Virat Kohli led the batting attempt with splendid consistency, at the same time as India’s bowlers used disciplined traces and lengths to problem the South African batters.
The ODI collection win come to be mainly critical due to the fact triumphing a complete bilateral ODI series in South Africa had lengthy been a tremendous project for travelling teams.
10. 2023: India’s Dominant World Cup Victory
India produced taken into consideration certainly one of their maximum convincing ODI victories in competition to South Africa at the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
In Kolkata, Virat Kohli scored his forty 9th ODI century, equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s then-document tally. India posted 326/five after which bowled South Africa out for eighty 3.
Result: India gained by way of manner of 243 runs.
The healthy showcased India’s electricity in every batting and bowling, with Kohli’s century turning into one of the defining performances of the occasion.
11. 2023–24: India Level the Test Series in South Africa
India’s 2023–24 excursion of South Africa produced very amazing Test matches.
South Africa obtained the number one Test at Centurion with the resource of an innings and 32 runs. India responded in Cape Town with a seven-wicket victory, levelling the 2-healthy collection 1–1.
Mohammed Siraj’s outstanding bowling in Cape Town helped India dismiss South Africa for just fifty five within the first innings. The healthful finished in less than days, making it one of the shortest completed Tests in cricket history by using the usage of the use of balls bowled.
12. 2024: India Win the T20 World Cup Final

June 29, 2024, have emerge as one of the maximum memorable dates inside the India vs South Africa cricket timeline.
India and South Africa confronted every one in every of a kind inside the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup very last in Barbados. Both companies had reached the final unbeaten, elevating expectancies for a close to contest.
India scored 176/7, with Virat Kohli making 76 runs from fifty nine balls and Axar Patel including forty seven. South Africa got here close to winning, however India’s bowlers grew to emerge as the wholesome spherical within the ultimate overs.
- India: 176/7 in 20 overs
- South Africa: 169/eight in 20 overs
- Result: India obtained with the useful resource of seven runs.
- Key performers: Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav.
India secured their second guys’s T20 World Cup come to be aware of, even as South Africa suffered a heartbreaking defeat of their first final of the healthy.
13. 2025: Another Competitive Year
The groups persevered their competition in 2025, with bilateral collection throughout codecs.
In December 2025, South Africa toured India for a -Test series. The website online visitors received every Tests, collectively with a 30-run victory in Kolkata and a 408-run victory in Guwahati, finishing a 2–zero series win.
The effects gave South Africa a main Test-series fulfillment on Indian soil and confirmed that the group should compete strongly in tough conditions.
14. 2026: South Africa Defeat India at the T20 World Cup
The opposition added each specific crucial economic catastrophe on February 22, 2026, while India and South Africa met inside the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super Eight level in Ahmedabad.
South Africa recovered from an early batting collapse to put up 187/7. David Miller scored sixty three from 35 balls, and Tristan Stubbs delivered an unbeaten forty four.
India struggled at some point of the chase and were disregarded for 111 in 18.Five overs.
- South Africa: 187/7 in 20 overs
- India: 111 all out in 18.Five overs
- Result: South Africa gained thru 76 runs.
- Key performers: David Miller, Tristan Stubbs and Marco Jansen, who took 4 wickets for 22 runs.
The victory ended India’s 12-in shape unbeaten run on the T20 World Cup and gave South Africa an important win over the protective champions.
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India vs South Africa Head-to-Head Records
India and South Africa have faced each other in all three major international formats. Their records differ depending on the format, and the totals below reflect men’s international results through the latest available records in February 2026.
| Format | Matches | India won | South Africa won | Other results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 46 | 16 | 20 | 10 draws |
| ODIs | 97 | 42 | 52 | 3 no results |
| T20Is | 36 | 21 | 14 | 1 no result |
What Makes the India vs South Africa Rivalry Special?
Several factors have made this contest considered one among cricket’s maximum thrilling rivalries.
- Different playing situations: South Africa’s tempo-high-quality pitches test Indian batters, at the same time as Indian conditions regularly convey spin into the sport.
- World-elegance game enthusiasts: Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn have all contributed to the competition.
- High-stress suits: World Cup encounters have time and again produced memorable performances and close to finishes.
- Three aggressive codecs: Both organizations have strong facts in Tests, ODIs and T20Is, preserving the competition unpredictable.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. When did India and South Africa first play an international cricket wholesome?
India and South Africa first accomplished an ODI on November 10, 1991, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. India received the in shape via 3 wickets.
2. When modified into the first Test match amongst India and South Africa?
The first Test a number of the two businesses occurred in Durban in November 1992. The in form ended in a draw.
3. Who acquired the 2024 T20 World Cup very last amongst India and South Africa?
India received the very last with the resource of seven runs after scoring 176/7 and limiting South Africa to 169/eight. Virat Kohli scored 76 runs.
4. What have grow to be the quit quit result of India vs South Africa in the 2026 T20 World Cup?
South Africa defeated India thru seventy six runs in Ahmedabad on February 22, 2026. South Africa scored 187/7 earlier than bowling India out for 111.
5. Which crew leads the India vs South Africa head-to-head file?
South Africa lead the ancient head-to-head record in Tests and ODIs, at the same time as India lead in T20Is, based totally completely at the data stated above.
6. What is India’s largest ODI achievement in opposition to South Africa?
One of India’s maximum memorable character ODI achievements came in 2010, while Sachin Tendulkar scored an unbeaten two hundred in opposition to South Africa in Gwalior.
Final Thoughts
The India country wide cricket organization vs South Africa countrywide cricket crew timeline shows greater than 3 a few years of competitive global cricket. From India’s first ODI victory in 1991 to the dramatic T20 World Cup very last in 2024 and South Africa’s emphatic win in 2026, every businesses have created moments that lovers will recollect for years.
South Africa have traditionally been strong in Tests and ODIs, at the identical time as India have constructed an great document in T20 internationals. With proficient players on each elements, this rivalry remains an essential part of worldwide cricket and promises greater interesting contests in the future.

