Can Suryakumar Yadav and co. take a series win in South Africa?
While the Indian red-ball team has had a horror-run in the recent home series against New Zealand, the white-ball team, particularly the T20 squad will be looking to continue their strong run as the reigning World Champions head to South Africa for a 4-match T20I series. This will also be the first time the two teams are facing each other in a T20 game since the World Cup final in June with the hosts having revenge in mind.
Ahead of the opening T20I, here’s our match preview and predictions.
South Africa vs India 1st T20I | India tour of South Africa 2024 | 20:30 IST, November 8
With Rohit Sharma having retired after the World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav was elected as his successor and Yadav will continue to lead a relatively young and inexperienced Indian squad. Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Sanju Samson and Arshdeep Singh are some on the more experienced players with Samson, Yadav, Patel, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya being a shoo-in for the XI and will be the key batters for the visitors. Arshdeep Singh will lead the bowling attack with Hardik Pandya and Yash Dayal, who are the other options for Yadav with the new ball while there is a strong spin contingent as well with the likes of Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy and Patel.
The hosts, like India, also have a mix of youth and experience with Aiden Markram continuing to lead as he has the likes of David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen and Keshav Maharaj as the experienced lot. Markram himself will have to shoulder more responsibility with the bat, while Tristan Stubbs, Miller, Klaasen and Reeza Hendricks are the ones who the Proteas will count on with the bat. Marco Jansen, Patrick Kruger and Ottneil Baartman are the main seamers for the hosts with Keshav Maharaj set to be the lead spinner.
It should be an even contest, with both teams looking to transition well into a new era and Kingsmead should give us plenty of runs with some purchase for the spinners and slow bowlers. While the hosts might have revenge on their mind, expect India to hold the edge and should come out on top in a close encounter.
Fantasy XI: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Suryakumar Yadav, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Rinku Singh, Keshav Maharaj, Ottneil Baartman
Venue: Durban
Winners Prediction: India
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