Akshay Thakur - Tuesday, Oct 28, 2025Pakistan vs South Africa 1st T20I Pitch Report: Pakistan and South Africa will lock horns in the first T20I of the three-match series on Tuesday, October 28, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
This match follows their drawn Test series, which ended in a 1-1 draw, setting the stage for an exciting white-ball contest.
Pakistan, who reached the final of the Asia Cup 2025 despite a string of poor performances, will be looking to dominate at home. Their main challenge will be maintaining batting consistency against the South African pace attack.
Meanwhile, South Africa will be eager to bounce back from their unexpected defeat to Namibia earlier this month. With Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, and Lungi Ngidi expected to lay the foundation for the young team, South Africa will look to start the series on a positive note.
SA vs PAK 1st T20I Pitch Report: The pitch at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is expected to provide early swing and bounce for fast bowlers with the new ball, especially under floodlights, while batsmen will be able to play more freely as the game progresses. This surface is batting-friendly, and the average first innings score in recent T20 matches has been 140-150.
As the match progresses, the pitch may dry out slightly, providing some turn and grip for spinners, making spin bowling a useful option late in the innings. Dew is expected to be a significant factor in the second innings, which typically makes batting easier for the team chasing, and captains often choose to bowl first after winning the toss.
Overall, the Rawalpindi pitch balances both bowling and batting opportunities, making it expected to be an exciting contest where pace, spin, and batting skill will all contribute to the outcome.
| Total matches: | 8 |
| Batting first won: | 0 |
| Bowling first won: | 6 |
| 1st inn avg score: | 130 |
| 2nd inn avg score: | 148 |
| Highest Total: | 194/4 |
| Lowest Total: | 90/10 |
| Highest Chased: | 194/4 |
| Lowest Defended: | 0/0 |
Pakistan (PAK) Possible Playing 11: 1. Sahibzada Farhan, 2. Saim Ayub, 3. Babar Azam, 4. Usman Tariq, 5. Agha Salman(C), 6. Hasan Nawaz, 7. Mohammad Nawaz, 8. Faheem Ashraf, 9. Shaheen Afridi, 10. Naseem Shah, 11. Abrar Ahmed
South Africa (SA) Possible Playing 11: 1. Quinton de Kock(WK), 2. Reeza Hendricks, 3. Matthew Breetzke, 4. Dewald Brevis, 5. Tony de Zorzi(WK), 6. Lhuan-dre Pretorius(WK), 7. Donovan Ferreira(WK)(C), 8. George Linde, 9. Corbin Bosch, 10. Nandre Burger, 11. Lizaad Williams
Also Read: Pakistan vs South Africa 1st T20I Match Prediction: Who Will Win Today match?
