IND vs SA, 3rd T20I: Match stopped, umpires take players off field due to THIS bizarre reason in Centurion, watch

The third T20I between India and South Africa on Wednesday (Nov 13) was briefly halted at SuperSport Park in Centurion due to a swarm of flying ants. The unexpected delay occurred shortly after the second innings began, pausing play for nearly 30 minutes as the insects posed a risk to players by getting into their eyes. 

Flying ants are common in South Africa during humid conditions, especially a few days after rain.

Breaking News: Ind vs SA match stopped due to Dragonfly.
टिड्डे आने के कारण रुका Ind Vs SA का मैच।।#INDvSA pic.twitter.com/KeTLUKMd1b

— SciTech (@autoscienc78209) November 13, 2024

South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl first, putting early pressure on India. India faced a setback right away when Sanju Samson, who scored a century in the first T20I, was dismissed for a duck – his second in three games. Tilak Varma was promoted to bat at number three and teamed up with Abhishek Sharma, adding a quick 107 runs in just 8.2 overs. Sharma reached his half-century off just 25 balls before getting stumped off Keshav Maharaj's delivery. Three runs later, skipper Suryakumar Yadav also fell, giving South Africa hope for a comeback.

Despite losing Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma held firm, building a 58-run stand with Rinku Singh to boost India’s score. Rinku was dismissed with the score at 190/5. Ramandeep Singh, making his debut, made an impact by hitting a six on his first ball in international cricket. He was dismissed just before the end of India’s innings, which closed at an impressive 219/6.

Tilak Varma finished the innings unbeaten with a remarkable 107 off 56 balls, including eight fours and seven sixes. With this, he became the 12th Indian player to score a T20I century, the most for any team in T20Is.