Years 199632012 Series of one-day internationals [ ODIs [edit Sources] The India national cricket team vs South Africa national cricket team timeline chronicles the history of competitive international One Day International (ODI) cricket between two nations: India and England. The ODI rivalry began in 1991, before the first Test series in 1992. Since that time, the two teams have been involved in some high profile Tests, ODI and T20I matches along with skirmishes in ICC tournaments like the T20 World Cup final in 2024 played under extreme pressure and their latest major dust up at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
India vs South Africa Cricket Rivalry History
India and South Africa first established their modern international rivalry near the end of South Africa’s sporting isolation. The first of the men’s international fixtures between them was an ODI at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on 10 November 1991. It was in that encounter that India triumphed by 3 wickets and correspondingly the official Player of the Match award was shared by Sachin Tendulkar and Allan Donald.
India toured South Africa as the rivalry transitioned into Test cricket in November 1992. 1st Test November 13–17, 1992Kingsmead, Durban The game was a draw and South Africa went on to win the four-test series 1–0.
The character of the rivalry has changed over the years South Africa have traditionally had the upper hand in Tests played at home whereas India started to exercise his rule increasingly in limited-overs and in their own backyard. The period was full of some vital Indian wins during the 2010s, and the decade added another chapter with success in the semifinals of the 2024 T20 World Cup final, as well as a Test series played in India in early 2025 and then the 2026 T20 World Cup.
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India vs South Africa First Match
The India vs South Africa first match in men’s international cricket was the first ODI of South Africa’s 1991–92 tour of India.
| Detail | Information |
| Date | 10 November 1991 |
| Format | ODI |
| Venue | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| South Africa | 177/8 |
| India | 178/7 |
| Result | India won by 3 wickets |
| Notable performers | Sachin Tendulkar, Allan Donald |
In a game reduced to 47 overs per side, South Africa managed a respectable 177/8. India won by 7 wickets On his ODI debut, Donald announced himself with 5/29 while Tendulkar scored 62.
In India National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Timeline
history, however, this is no ordinary match and we will explain why – it was arguably the first in an ongoing rivalry covering over 150 men’s honours between the two nations that began with South Africa returning to international and Test cricket at a time when apartheid had ended.
India vs South Africa First Test Series
First Test 13 to 17 November 1992, at Kingsmead, Durban
South Africa followed on but only made 141 in their second innings as India took the match by an innings and 69 runs, having made 277 before then bowling out South Africa for 254. South Africa declared 176/3 for their 2nd innings after tea which led to a draw. India had a 103 from Pravin Amre and South Africa a 118 for Kepler Wessels.
1992–93 India tour of AustraliaFour Tests The series was won by the hosts who won the third Test at Port Elizabeth by nine wickets and drew the other three matches for a 1–0 series win.
The first Test also earned notoriety in a landmark cricket technology-related incident, when Sachin Tendulkar was run out on an early third-umpire decision.
India National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Timeline Year-by-Year
The following timeline focuses on major milestones rather than listing every individual international fixture.
| Year | Series/Tournament | Format | Venue/Location | Result/Highlight |
| 1991 | South Africa tour of India | ODI | Kolkata | India won by 3 wickets in the first meeting |
| 1992–93 | India tour of South Africa | Test | South Africa | South Africa won series 1–0 |
| 1992 | Cricket World Cup | ODI | Adelaide | South Africa won by 6 wickets |
| 1996–97 | South Africa tour of India | Test | India | India won series 2–1 |
| 2000 | ICC KnockOut | ODI | Nairobi | India won by 95 runs |
| 2002 | Champions Trophy | ODI | Colombo | India won by 10 runs |
| 2006 | India tour of South Africa | Test | Johannesburg | India won first Test in South Africa by 123 runs |
| 2007 | ICC World Twenty20 | T20I | Durban | India won by 37 runs |
| 2010 | India tour of South Africa | ODI | Gwalior | Sachin Tendulkar scored 200* |
| 2011 | ODI World Cup | ODI | Nagpur | South Africa won by 3 wickets |
| 2013–14 | India tour of South Africa | Test/ODI | South Africa | South Africa dominated the Test and ODI contests |
| 2015 | ODI World Cup | ODI | Melbourne | India won by 130 runs |
| 2015–16 | South Africa tour of India | Test | India | India won Test series 3–0 |
| 2017 | Champions Trophy | ODI | The Oval | India won by 8 wickets |
| 2018 | India tour of South Africa | ODI | South Africa | India won ODI series 5–1 |
| 2019 | ODI World Cup | ODI | Southampton | India won by 6 wickets |
| 2019–20 | South Africa tour of India | Test | India | India won series 3–0 |
| 2021–22 | India tour of South Africa | Test | South Africa | South Africa won series 2–1 |
| 2023 | ODI World Cup | ODI | Kolkata | India won by 243 runs |
| 2023–24 | India tour of South Africa | Test | Cape Town | Series drawn 1–1 |
| 2024 | T20 World Cup Final | T20I | Barbados | India won by 7 runs |
| 2025 | South Africa tour of India | Test | India | South Africa won series 2–0 |
| 2025 | South Africa tour of India | ODI | India | India won series 2–1 |
| 2025 | South Africa tour of India | T20I | India | India won series 3–1; one match abandoned |
| 2026 | T20 World Cup | T20I | Ahmedabad | South Africa won by 76 runs |
The 2025 results are particularly important when updating an India vs South Africa year-wise timeline. South Africa won both Tests, India won the ODI series 2–1, and India won the T20I series 3–1 with one match abandoned.
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India vs South Africa Test Match Timeline
Of all, Test cricket has perhaps given the most technically testy aspect of rivalry.
1992–93: The Beginning
The first of these Tests series was a 4-match affair which South Africa won 1–0. The first two Tests ended in a draw, South Africa won the third at Port Elizabeth, while the fourth at Cape Town was drawn.
2006: India’s Historic First Test Win in South Africa
And a major milestone was reached in December 2006. India won the Test by 123 runs against South Africa at Johannesburg, giving their first Test win against South Africa on their soil.
They were crucial in the bowling department with Anil Kumble, Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan all chipping in. India posted 403 runs and then eventually broke the cost-effect resistance of South Africa.
2010–11: Another Away Victory
In 2010–11 tour India at the Heath Streak end of the ground beat Durban Test to tie the margin of a three-match series 1–1.
2015–16: India Dominate at Home
The 2015–16 Test series saw India return to home soil, producing a strong show at home to claim the series 3–0.
2017–18: South Africa Retain Home Advantage
South Africa won the series 2–1 with three Tests. But it was only the Johannesburg Test that India won – but by 63 runs.
This same tour saw India also win the 5-match ODI series in South Africa 5–1, among India’s more remarkable limited overs tournament performances there.
2021–22: South Africa Fight Back
India started brightly winning the first Test at Centurion before being beaten by South Africa in the next two Tests to lose the series 2–1.
2023–24: Cape Town Classic
The Test series ended 1–1. India won at Cape Town in a Testover two Days found time to make the second win through examination.
2025: South Africa Sweep India
India travelled to South Africa in 2025 and lost both Tests. They won the first Test in Kolkata by 30 runs, and then clinched the second in Guwahati by an innings and 408 runs.
The overall Test head-to-head record, following the end of that 2025 series was, however, in South Africa’s favour at 20–16 with 10 draws from 46 Tests.
India vs South Africa ODI Timeline
The ODI antagonism dates aback to 1991 and has delivered some of the fieriest performances since.
South Africa were the dominant side in several of those fixtures, including the 1992 and 1999 World Cup matches. India became more consistent from the 2010s onwards.
Sachin Tendulkar was the first men’s ODI batter to register a double century, scoring 200 against South Africa in Gwalior* in 2010.
Another key moment in this story was the joint-hosted 2015 World Cup. “Played against these guys 2 times previously in an ODI World Cup & lost, worth reminding those old enough to be scattered around the world – India won by 130 runs in a losing record versus South Africa (in ODIs at the World Cup)”
2019 World Cup: India again beat South Africa, by six wickets at Southampton.
The World Cup clash at Eden Gardens in 2023 was a lopsided encounter. India: 326/5 India won by 243 runs South Africa: 83
For one, the 2018 bilateral ODI series was also a turning point. India won 5 out of the six matches in this series, thereby winning the series by 5–1.
India’s 3-0 series win over South Africa in the 2025 ODI tour to India brought an end to India’s particularly unflattering overall head-to-head record – after a three-match ODI series, this stood at 97 matches (42 wins for India against another poor show of just 52 wins for South Africa and three no result).
India vs South Africa T20I Timeline
This grew the T20I rivalry gambling based on the development of international19 men’s T20 cricket.
The first major meeting came during 2007 ICC World Twenty20 when India smashed a 37-run victory over South Africa in Durban. India reached the semi-finals for the first time and even went on to win the tournament.
Since then, the teams met regularly in bilateral T20I series and ICC events.
The most notable T20I encounter between the sides was the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup. But the rivalry would not end there. Three of four T20Is completed by December 2025; one abandoned, India won the series 3–1.
The next big chapter came at the 2026 T20 World Cup. Ahmedabad, 22 February 2026: India Lose by 76 Runs (South Africa) India folded for 111 in reply with South Africa making 187/7 first up. Marco Jansen took 4/22, and David Miller scored 63 off 35 balls.
Heading into the latest round of men’s internationals covered here, India have a 21–14 T20I lead (with one no-result) after 36 meetings.
India vs South Africa in ICC World Cups
The rivalry has been especially interesting in World Cup cricket.
ODI World Cup
India and South Africa have met six times in the men’s ODI World Cup:
| Year | Venue | Winner | Result |
| 1992 | Adelaide | South Africa | Won by 6 wickets |
| 1999 | Hove | South Africa | Won by 4 wickets |
| 2011 | Nagpur | South Africa | Won by 3 wickets |
| 2015 | Melbourne | India | Won by 130 runs |
| 2019 | Southampton | India | Won by 6 wickets |
| 2023 | Kolkata | India | Won by 243 runs |
The World Cup record is therefore 3–3. India lost the first three meetings but won the next three, making this one of the clearest examples of how the rivalry has changed over time.
T20 World Cup
T20 World Cup meetings have also produced memorable contests, culminating in the 2024 final and followed by another significant encounter in the 2026 Super Eights.
India vs South Africa T20 World Cup 2024 Final
Without doubt, the most memorable game in this rivalry is the India vs South Africa T20 World Cup final on 29 June 2024 at Kensington Oval, Barbados.
India won the toss and opted to bowl first. Among the rest, Virat Kohli compiled a 59-ball 76 while Axar Patel contributed 47 from 31 balls. South Africa chased down 177, after India reached a total of 176/7.
A chase which South Africa began to make it look a little more possible. Heinrich Klaasen launched an assault on the Indian bowlers, with David Miller keeping him company at the other end. South Africa needed 30 off the last 30 balls, giving them a realistic chance of claiming their first men’s senior ICC World Cup title.
India’s comeback started from Hardik Pandya getting Klaasen out. Jasprit Bumrah then bowled an outstanding over, where most deliveries were within the stumps, while Arshdeep Singh continued to pile on pressure.
The moment of truth arrived in the last over. Hardik Pandya bowls to David Miller, who hit it in the direction of the boundary. Then came a remarkable boundary catch by Suryakumar Yadav that all but extinguished South Africa’s last hope.
South Africa ended their innings by managing to get only 169 runs for the loss of eight wickets in the stipulated overs, handing India a seven-run win and second Men’s T20 World Cup trophy.
India vs South Africa Most Memorable Matches
| Year | Tournament/Series | Format | Result | Why It Was Memorable |
| 1991 | South Africa tour of India | ODI | India won by 3 wickets | First men’s international meeting |
| 2006 | India tour of South Africa | Test | India won by 123 runs | India’s first Test win in South Africa |
| 2007 | T20 World Cup | T20I | India won by 37 runs | Helped India reach semi-finals |
| 2010 | India vs South Africa | ODI | India won | Tendulkar scored 200* |
| 2015 | ODI World Cup | ODI | India won by 130 runs | India’s first World Cup win over SA |
| 2018 | India tour of South Africa | ODI | India won by 8 wickets | India sealed a historic 5–1 ODI series |
| 2023 | ODI World Cup | ODI | India won by 243 runs | One of India’s biggest World Cup wins |
| 2024 | T20 World Cup Final | T20I | India won by 7 runs | Dramatic World Cup final |
| 2026 | T20 World Cup Super 8 | T20I | South Africa won by 76 runs | SA ended India’s unbeaten tournament run |
The 2026 result is especially notable because ICC reported that it ended India’s 12-match unbeaten streak in the Men’s T20 World Cup.
India National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Timeline Head-to-Head Record
Based on completed men’s internationals through the latest matches discussed above:
| Format | Matches | India Wins | South Africa Wins | Draw/No Result |
| Tests | 46 | 16 | 20 | 10 draws |
| ODIs | 97 | 42 | 52 | 3 NR |
| T20Is | 36 | 21 | 14 | 1 NR |
This gives South Africa the stronger historical India vs South Africa head-to-head record in Tests and ODIs, while India lead clearly in T20Is.
Important: These figures are based on completed men’s international matches through the 2026 T20 World Cup meeting. Records should be rechecked if another India–South Africa men’s international is played after the publication date.
India vs South Africa Series Results
Some of the most important bilateral series results include:
| Season | Format | Host | Series Result |
| 1992–93 | Tests | South Africa | South Africa won 1–0 |
| 1996–97 | Tests | India | India won 2–1 |
| 2001–02 | Tests | South Africa | South Africa won 1–0 |
| 2004–05 | Tests | India | India won 1–0 |
| 2010–11 | Tests | South Africa | Drawn 1–1 |
| 2013–14 | Tests | South Africa | South Africa won 1–0 |
| 2015–16 | Tests | India | India won 3–0 |
| 2017–18 | Tests | South Africa | South Africa won 2–1 |
| 2019–20 | Tests | India | India won 3–0 |
| 2021–22 | Tests | South Africa | South Africa won 2–1 |
| 2023–24 | Tests | South Africa | Drawn 1–1 |
| 2025 | Tests | India | South Africa won 2–0 |
| 2018 | ODIs | South Africa | India won 5–1 |
| 2025 | ODIs | India | India won 2–1 |
| 2025 | T20Is | India | India won 3–1 |
The 2025 Test, ODI and T20I results are confirmed by the published series results: South Africa won both Tests, India won two of three ODIs, and India won three of the four completed T20Is.
India vs South Africa Key Players
The rivalry has featured some of the greatest players of several cricketing generations.
Sachin Tendulkar was central to the early years. He appeared in the first ODI meeting and later produced the historic unbeaten 200 against South Africa in 2010.
Allan Donald made an immediate impact in the first ODI, taking 5/29, and became one of the most feared fast bowlers of the era.
Anil Kumble was an important figure in India’s Test rivalry with South Africa, including the historic 2006 Johannesburg victory. His leg-spin played a key role in breaking South African resistance.
Virat Kohli became one of India’s most important modern performers against South Africa, particularly in Tests and ODIs. His 76 in the 2024 T20 World Cup final was central to India’s championship-winning total.
For South Africa, players such as Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller have all contributed memorable performances across different eras.
India vs South Africa Latest Encounters
The last meeting between the men’s teams in this period was in Ahmedabad at the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, where South Africa beat India by 76 runs.
From 20/3, South Africa made it to 187/7. But a 63 from 35 balls and their 97-run partnership with Dewald Brevis turned the innings for Miller. Tristan Stubbs then swung the bat towards the end, scoring 44 from 24 balls.
During the chase, India had their difficulties and were cleaned out for 111 in 18.5 overs. Marco Jansen 4/22 Keshav Maharaj->3/24
India vs South Africa updated match history: This result is a significant update to India vs South Africa updated match history because it took place less than two years after their gripping T20 World Cup final in 2024.
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FAQ’s About India National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Timeline
1. When did India first play South Africa?
India first played South Africa in men’s international cricket on 10 November 1991, in an ODI at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. India won by three wickets.
2. When was the first India vs South Africa Test match?
The first Test began on 13 November 1992 at Kingsmead, Durban. It ended in a draw.
3. Who has won more India vs South Africa Test matches?
South Africa lead the Test head-to-head with 20 wins to India’s 16, with 10 draws after 46 Tests.
4. Who has won more India vs South Africa ODIs?
South Africa lead the ODI record, with 52 wins compared with India’s 42 after 97 completed matches; three were no-results.
5. Who has won more India vs South Africa T20Is?
India lead the T20I record, with 21 wins to South Africa’s 14, with one no-result.
6. How many times have India and South Africa met in the ODI World Cup?
They have met six times in the men’s ODI World Cup. The World Cup record is tied 3–3.
7. Who won the India vs South Africa T20 World Cup 2024 final?
India won the final by seven runs.
8. What was the result of the 2024 T20 World Cup final?
India scored 176/7, South Africa made 169/8, and India won by seven runs.
9. Who scored the most important runs in the 2024 T20 World Cup final?
Virat Kohli played the key anchoring innings, scoring 76 from 59 balls. Axar Patel also made an important 47 from 31 balls.
10. Why is India vs South Africa considered a major cricket rivalry?
The rivalry combines long-running Test contests, competitive ODI series, ICC tournament encounters and dramatic T20 matches. It has also featured generations of elite players and major milestones, from India’s first meeting with South Africa in 1991 to the 2024 T20 World Cup final and the 2026 World Cup Super Eight clash.
Conclusion
The India national cricket team vs South Africa national cricket team timeline are records of the heyday over how this rivalry has evolved from South Africa’s establishment upon its return to international cricket in 1991 into one of the most contested match-ups in world cricket. Traditionally South Africa were the dominant force in Tests and ODIs, but India boast a far better T20I record. Several key moments – India’s first Test victory in South Africa in 2006, the World Cup wins of 2015 and 2023, the stunning T20 World Cup final upset of 2024 and the T20 World Cup win by SA in 20226 – all keep adding to an ever growing narrative.
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