Match overview
Pakistan beat South Africa by 4 wickets in a T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on 1 November 2025. South Africa, put into bat after Pakistan won the toss and chose to field, managed 139/9. Pakistan's chase was controlled through the powerplay and middle overs, but four wickets fell in the death overs before they crossed the line. Babar Azam was named Player of the Match. The result means Pakistan have now won three of the last five meetings between these sides in 2025, trimming South Africa's overall lead in a rivalry that stretches to 104 matches.
South Africa's innings never found its footing. Two wickets fell in the first six overs for just 22 runs, leaving the middle order to repair the innings. They managed 74 runs from overs 7 to 16, but at the cost of 5 further wickets. The final phase produced 43 runs and 2 more dismissals, and the total of 139/9 was a significant underperformance against a venue that averages 208 in the first innings across 145 T20 matches at Gaddafi Stadium.
Pakistan's reply was almost the mirror image in its shape. They moved through the powerplay at 36/1, stayed composed in the middle overs (79 runs, 1 wicket), then wobbled badly at the death: 4 wickets for 25 runs made a routine chase feel complicated. They got there in the end, but only just.
Venue and conditions
Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore is one of Pakistan's most storied venues, and the numbers across 145 T20 matches tell a clear story: it tends to favour the side batting first. The average first-innings score is 208 and the average second-innings score drops to 177, a gap of 31 runs that reflects how conditions often change as the evening progresses and dew becomes a factor. The chase success rate across all T20 matches here stands at just 43 per cent.
The powerplay is where Gaddafi pitches typically reward attacking strokeplay, with an average of 46 runs in the first six overs. South Africa's 22 runs in that phase on Saturday was therefore a significant undershoot. The average death-overs contribution of 43 runs at the ground is almost exactly what both sides produced in this match (43 for South Africa, 25 for Pakistan), though the wickets column tells a different story for the home side.
Toss dynamics here slightly favour fielding first: teams elect to field on 49 per cent of occasions. Pakistan followed that pattern and it proved justified, restricting South Africa well below the venue average.
How to watch
Pakistan's home T20I series against South Africa is available in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket, with live streaming through Sky Go and NOW TV for subscribers. Match start times in Pakistan are typically evening, which means UK viewers can expect fixtures to begin in the early afternoon, depending on daylight saving arrangements. Check the Sky Sports schedule for confirmed UK kickoff times ahead of each match.
Recent form
South Africa arrived at this fixture with a mixed recent record. Of their last five matches, three were defeats and two were wins, with all five coming against Pakistan. Their most recent result before this game was a loss against Namibia Cricket, suggesting some inconsistency beyond this specific bilateral series.
Pakistan's form tells a similar story of inconsistency. They had won two of their previous five matches before this game, both against South Africa. A defeat against India Cricket is the other notable result in that sequence. At home, however, Pakistan clearly find another level: both their recent wins at Gaddafi Stadium have been convincing, including a 9-wicket victory earlier in 2025. Whether they can sustain that home advantage across the remainder of the series will be one of the central questions to follow.
