IND vs SA Head to Head: Comparison Across All Formats (2026)

Cricket between India and South Africa is one of the most exciting rivalries in modern cricket. Since their first match in 1991, these two teams have played many thrilling games.

South Africa returned to international cricket in 1991 after a long ban. Since then, they have been one of the strongest teams in world cricket with great fast bowlers and talented batsmen.

India has grown into a cricket powerhouse with world-class players in all formats. Both teams always give their best when they play against each other.

This article will show their complete head-to-head record, results in different formats, and the story of their rivalry.

Overall India vs South Africa Head-to-Head

India and South Africa have played each other 169 times across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. Here is a simple breakdown of their results:

Format	Total Matches	India Won	South Africa Won	Draw/No Result	Tie
Tests	44	16	18	10	0
ODIs	94	40	51	3	0
T20Is	31	18	12	1	0
Overall	169	74	81	14	0

In the next sections, you’ll see the exact head-to-head stats between India and South Africa in all formats. Let’s start with Tests.

India vs South Africa Head-to-Head in Tests

The Test rivalry between India and South Africa started in 1992 and has given fans many memorable matches. Both teams have strong bowling attacks and talented batsmen.

South Africa has been slightly better in Tests with 18 wins compared to India’s 16 wins. Many matches have ended in draws because both teams play strong cricket.

They have met 44 times in Tests. The matches between these teams are always competitive and full of quality cricket.

Total Matches	India Won	South Africa Won	Draws
44	16	18	10

India vs South Africa Head-to-Head in ODIs

The ODI format has been very competitive between these two teams. South Africa has been stronger in one-day cricket with more wins overall.

Both teams have played exciting cricket in World Cups and bilateral series. South Africa is known for their strong ODI team, while India has also had great success in this format.

Out of 94 matches total, South Africa has won 51, while India has won 40 matches. This shows South Africa’s edge in ODI cricket.

Total Matches	India Wins	South Africa Wins	No Result	Ties
94	40	51	3	0

India vs South Africa Head-to-Head in T20Is

In T20Is, India has been much stronger than South Africa. India has won more matches and plays excellent T20 cricket with powerful batsmen and smart bowlers.

India won the first T20 World Cup in 2007 and has always been strong in this format. South Africa has a good T20 team but India has had more success between these two teams.

Out of 31 matches, India has won 18 while South Africa has won 12 games. This makes India the clear leader in T20I cricket between these teams.

Total Matches	India Wins	South Africa Wins	No Result	Ties
31	18	12	1	0

Memorable Matches Between India and South Africa

Some matches between India and South Africa have been more than just numbers. These games are remembered for their thrilling finishes, amazing performances, and exciting moments that fans still talk about today.

Memorable Matches Between India vs South Africa in Tests

1. India vs South Africa, Kanpur (2008)

This was an exciting Test match where India showed their strength at home. South Africa batted first and scored 265 runs. Graeme Smith made 69 runs and Hashim Amla scored 51 runs for South Africa.

India replied with 325 runs, taking a 60-run lead. Sourav Ganguly played a brilliant innings of 87 runs, and VVS Laxman scored 50 runs. In the second innings, South Africa could only manage 121 runs. Harbhajan Singh took 4 wickets and was the star bowler. India needed just 62 runs to win and chased it down easily, losing only 2 wickets. 

Result: India won by 8 wickets

2. South Africa vs India, Mumbai (2000)

This was a low-scoring Test match full of excitement. India batted first and scored 225 runs. Sachin Tendulkar was the hero with 97 runs, playing almost alone for his team.

South Africa replied with 176 runs, and Tendulkar surprised everyone by taking 3 wickets with his bowling! India’s second innings was disappointing as they scored only 113 runs. Shaun Pollock took 4 wickets for South Africa. South Africa won by 4 wickets in a close and thrilling finish.

Result: South Africa won by 4 wickets

Memorable Matches Between India vs South Africa in ODIs

1. India vs South Africa, Johannesburg (2011)

This was one of the most thrilling ODI matches between these two teams. India batted first and scored only 190 runs, which seemed like a small total. Yuvraj Singh top-scored with 53 runs, while MS Dhoni made 38 runs.

South Africa needed 191 runs to win and looked in control with Graeme Smith scoring 77 runs. But India’s bowlers fought back brilliantly. Munaf Patel was the hero with 4 wickets for only 29 runs. Zaheer Khan also took 2 important wickets. In an incredible finish, South Africa fell short by just one run.

Result: India won by 1 run

2. South Africa vs India, Durban (1992)

This was the first-ever ODI series between India and South Africa after South Africa returned to international cricket. South Africa batted first and scored 216 runs for 8 wickets. Kepler Wessels made 78 runs, and Peter Kirsten scored 44 runs.

Kapil Dev was outstanding with both bat and ball. He took 3 wickets for only 23 runs while bowling. India needed 217 runs to win but struggled in the chase. Mohammad Azharuddin scored 41 runs and Kapil Dev fought hard with 30 runs. However, South Africa’s bowlers were too strong. Meyrick Pringle took 3 wickets and Craig Matthews took 2 wickets. India was bowled out for 177 runs, losing by 39 runs. 

Result: South Africa won by 39 runs

Memorable Matches Between India vs South Africa in T20Is

1. India vs South Africa, Colombo (2012)

This was a T20 World Cup match that went down to the last ball. India batted first and scored 152 runs for 6 wickets. Suresh Raina played a brilliant innings of 45 runs off 34 balls, and MS Dhoni finished with 23 runs not out.

South Africa needed 153 runs to win. Faf du Plessis played an amazing knock of 65 runs off 38 balls and brought South Africa very close to victory. But India’s bowlers stayed calm under pressure. Yuvraj Singh took 2 wickets and was the star bowler. India won by just 1 run in one of the most thrilling T20 World Cup matches ever!

Result: India won by 1 run

2. South Africa vs India, Gqeberha (2024)

This was a recent T20I match that showed South Africa’s fighting spirit. India batted first but struggled, scoring only 124 runs for 6 wickets. Hardik Pandya top-scored with 39 runs not out, while Axar Patel made 27 runs.

South Africa needed 125 runs to win, which looked easy. But India’s spinner Varun Chakravarthy was outstanding, taking 5 wickets for only 17 runs! He removed the top batsmen, including Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, for low scores. South Africa won by 3 wickets with 6 balls remaining in a tense finish.

Result: South Africa won by 3 wickets

Highest Totals Between India and South Africa

Here are the top 5 highest totals between India vs South Africa. 

Highest Totals in Tests

Some Test matches between India and South Africa have seen massive scores. Both teams have scored over 600 runs in an innings, showing their batting strength.

Team	Score	Overs	Ground	Match Date	Result
India	643/6d	153.0	Eden Gardens	Feb 14, 2010	Won
India	627	155.1	Chennai	Mar 26, 2008	Draw
South Africa	620/4d	130.1	Centurion	Dec 16, 2010	Won
India	601/5d	156.3	Pune	Oct 10, 2019	Won
South Africa	563	143.0	Bloemfontein	Nov 3, 2001	Won

India’s highest score of 643 runs at Eden Gardens in 2010 is the biggest total in this rivalry. South Africa’s best is 620 runs at Centurion, also in 2010.

Highest Totals in ODIs

ODI cricket has become more exciting with bigger scores. South Africa holds the record for the highest total between these teams with 438 runs.

Team	Score	Overs	Ground	Match Date	Result
South Africa	438/4	50.0	Wankhede	Oct 25, 2015	Won
India	401/3	50.0	Gwalior	Feb 24, 2010	Won
South Africa	365/2	50.0	Ahmedabad	Feb 27, 2010	Won
South Africa	358/4	50.0	Johannesburg	Dec 5, 2013	Won
India	331/7	50.0	Cardiff	Jun 6, 2013	Won

South Africa’s 438 runs at Wankhede in 2015 is the highest ODI score in this rivalry. India’s best is 401 runs at Gwalior in 2010, showing how high-scoring these matches can be.

Highest Totals in T20Is

T20I cricket is known for big hitting and high scores. India recently set a new record with 283 runs in 2024.

Team	Score	Overs	Ground	Match Date	Result
India	283/1	20.0	Johannesburg	Nov 15, 2024	Won
India	237/3	20.0	Guwahati	Oct 2, 2022	Won
South Africa	227/3	20.0	Indore	Oct 4, 2022	Won
South Africa	221/3	20.0	Guwahati	Oct 2, 2022	Lost
South Africa	219/4	20.0	Johannesburg	Mar 30, 2012	Won

India’s 283 runs at Johannesburg in 2024 is the highest T20I score between these teams. This shows how explosive modern T20 cricket has become.

Lowest Totals Between India and South Africa

Here are the top 5 lowest totals between India vs South Africa. 

Lowest Totals in Tests

Some Test matches have seen very low scores on difficult pitches. These low-scoring games often produce thrilling results.

Team	Score	Overs	Ground	Match Date	Result
South Africa	55	23.2	Cape Town	Jan 3, 2024	Lost
India	66	34.1	Durban	Dec 26, 1996	Lost
India	76	20.0	Ahmedabad	Apr 3, 2008	Lost
South Africa	79	33.1	Nagpur	Nov 25, 2015	Lost
South Africa	84	25.1	Johannesburg	Dec 15, 2006	Lost

South Africa’s 55 all out at Cape Town in 2024 is the lowest score in this rivalry. India’s lowest is 66 all out at Durban in 1996. These matches show how difficult batting can be sometimes.

Lowest Totals in ODIs

Low scores in ODIs are rare, but when they happen, the matches become very exciting with bowlers dominating.

Team	Score	Overs	Ground	Match Date	Result
South Africa	83	27.1	Eden Gardens	Nov 5, 2023	Lost
India	91	29.1	Durban	Nov 22, 2006	Lost
South Africa	99	27.1	Delhi	Oct 11, 2022	Lost
South Africa	116	27.3	Johannesburg	Dec 17, 2023	Lost
South Africa	117	48.0	Nairobi	Sep 26, 1999	Lost

South Africa’s 83 all out at Eden Gardens in 2023 is the lowest ODI score between these teams. India’s lowest is 91 at Durban in 2006, showing strong bowling performances.

Lowest Totals in T20Is

Even in T20Is, where big scores are common, teams sometimes get bowled out for low totals.

Team	Score	Overs	Ground	Match Date	Result
South Africa	87	16.5	Rajkot	Jun 17, 2022	Lost
India	92	17.2	Cuttack	Oct 5, 2015	Lost
South Africa	95	13.5	Johannesburg	Dec 14, 2023	Lost
South Africa	106/8	20.0	Thiruvananthapuram	Sep 28, 2022	Lost
South Africa	116/9	20.0	Durban	Sep 20, 2007	Lost

South Africa’s 87 all out at Rajkot in 2022 is the lowest T20I score in this rivalry. These low scores show that even in T20 cricket, bowlers can take control on helpful pitches.

Top Run Scorers Between India and South Africa

Here are the top 5 run scorers between India vs South Africa. 

Most Runs in Tests

Several great batsmen have scored heavily in this rivalry. Both teams have produced legendary players who dominated Test cricket.

Player	Team	Matches	Innings	Runs	Highest Score	Average	100s	50s
SR Tendulkar	India	25	45	1741	169	42.46	7	5
JH Kallis	South Africa	18	31	1734	201*	69.36	9	7
HM Amla	South Africa	21	37	1528	253*	43.65	6	5
V Kohli	India	16	28	1408	254*	54.15	5	3
AB de Villiers	South Africa	20	35	1334	217*	39.23	6	3

Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis have scored the most runs in Tests between these teams. Both legends scored over 1700 runs with many centuries and fifties.

Most Runs in ODIs

ODI cricket has seen many great batting performances between India and South Africa over the years.

Player	Team	Matches	Innings	Runs	Highest Score	Average	100s	50s
SR Tendulkar	India	57	57	1200	200*	35.73	1	5
JH Kallis	South Africa	37	34	1535	119*	61.40	7	2
V Kohli	India	31	29	1504	160*	65.39	8	4
G Kirsten	South Africa	26	26	1377	133*	62.59	4	9
AB de Villiers	South Africa	32	32	1357	119	48.46	6	5

Virat Kohli and Jacques Kallis are the leading run scorers in ODIs. Kohli has an amazing average of 65.39 with 8 centuries against South Africa.

Most Runs in T20Is

T20I cricket is newer but has already produced some outstanding batsmen in this rivalry.

Player	Team	Matches	Innings	Runs	Highest Score	Average	100s	50s
DA Miller	South Africa	25	22	524	106*	34.93	1	2
RG Sharma	India	18	17	429	106	26.81	1	2
V Kohli	India	14	13	394	76*	39.40	0	3
SA Yadav	India	11	10	372	100	41.33	1	4
Q de Kock	South Africa	11	10	351	79*	43.87	0	4

David Miller from South Africa is the leading run scorer in T20Is between these teams with 524 runs, including one century.

Most Centuries Between India and South Africa

Here are the top 5 centuries between India vs South Africa. 

Most Centuries in Tests

Scoring a century in Test cricket is a special achievement. Many great batsmen have scored multiple hundreds in this rivalry.

Player	Team	Matches	Innings	Runs	Centuries	Fifties
JH Kallis	South Africa	18	31	1734	9	7
SR Tendulkar	India	25	45	1741	7	5
V Sehwag	India	15	26	1306	5	2
HM Amla	South Africa	21	37	1528	6	5
M Azharuddin	India	11	20	779	4	2

Jacques Kallis holds the record with 9 Test centuries against India. Sachin Tendulkar scored 7 centuries, making them the two most successful batsmen in this rivalry.

Most Centuries in ODIs

ODI cricket has produced many century-makers in matches between India and South Africa.

Player	Team	Matches	Innings	Runs	Centuries	Fifties
Q de Kock	South Africa	20	20	1077	6	2
AB de Villiers	South Africa	32	32	1357	6	5
V Kohli	India	31	29	1504	8	5
SR Tendulkar	India	57	57	1200	1	5
G Kirsten	South Africa	26	26	1377	4	9

Virat Kohli leads with 8 ODI centuries against South Africa, showing his dominance in this format. Quinton de Kock and AB de Villiers have 6 centuries each.

Top Wicket Takers Between India and South Africa

Here are the top 5 wicket takers between India vs South Africa. 

Most Wickets in Tests

Taking wickets in Test cricket requires skill and patience. Several bowlers have been very successful in this rivalry.

Player	Team	Matches	Balls	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Best Figures	Average
A Kumble	India	21	6830	1138.2	2671	84	6/53	31.79
DW Steyn	South Africa	14	2721	453.3	1400	65	7/51	21.53
J Srinath	India	13	3315	552.3	1567	64	6/21	24.48
Harbhajan Singh	India	11	3569	594.5	1704	60	7/87	28.40
M Morkel	South Africa	17	3119	519.5	1532	58	5/20	26.41

Anil Kumble is the leading wicket-taker with 84 wickets in Tests against South Africa. Dale Steyn took 65 wickets with an excellent average of 21.53.

Most Wickets in ODIs

ODI bowlers need to be smart and economical. These bowlers have been very effective in this rivalry.

Player	Team	Matches	Balls	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Best Figures	Average
SM Pollock	South Africa	33	1743	290.3	1175	48	5/37	24.47
AA Donald	South Africa	26	1441	240.1	973	46	5/29	21.15
A Kumble	India	40	2238	373.0	1472	46	4/25	32.00
DW Steyn	South Africa	18	924	154.0	763	34	5/50	22.44
L Klusener	South Africa	23	886	147.4	745	31	5/42	24.03

Shaun Pollock leads with 48 ODI wickets against India. Allan Donald and Anil Kumble both have 46 wickets each.

Most Wickets in T20Is

T20I bowlers need to be clever and stop batsmen from scoring big. Here are the most successful bowlers.

Player	Team	Matches	Balls	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Best Figures	Average
Arshdeep Singh	India	10	204	34.0	306	18	3/20	17.00
KA Maharaj	South Africa	15	288	48.0	415	15	2/23	27.66
B Kumar	India	12	232	38.4	259	14	5/24	18.50
CV Varun	India	4	96	16.0	138	12	5/17	11.50
R Ashwin	India	10	240	40.0	288	11	3/22	26.18

Arshdeep Singh leads the T20I wicket-takers with 18 wickets. Varun Chakravarthy has an amazing bowling average of just 11.50.

When Do India and South Africa Play Next?

India and South Africa are expected to meet in a bilateral series starting from November 14. Fans should check the official websites of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) for confirmed dates and venues.

Conclusion: South Africa Is Slightly Ahead in the India vs South Africa Rivalry

The numbers show how competitive these teams are. South Africa are slightly ahead with 81 wins across all formats compared to India’s 74 wins.

However, India dominates in T20Is while South Africa has been stronger in ODIs. The Test matches are very close with both teams showing great skill.

From South Africa’s return to cricket in the 1990s to today’s modern battles, this has been an amazing rivalry. Both teams have given cricket fans countless exciting moments.

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