While the Indian red-ball team have had a horror run in the recent home series against New Zealand, the white-ball team, in particular the T20I squad, will be looking to continue their strong run as the reigning World Champions head to South Africa for a four-match T20I series.
This will also be the first time the two teams face off in a T20I game since the World Cup final earlier this year, so the hosts will have revenge in mind.
Ahead of the opening T20I, here are our match preview and predictions.
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With Rohit Sharma having retired after the T20 World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav now leads the relatively young and inexperienced Indian squad. Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Sanju Samson, and Arshdeep Singh are some of the experienced players of this new-look setup.
Samson, Yadav, Patel, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, and Pandya will be a shoo-in for the XI and will be the key batters for the visitors. Singh will lead the bowling attack with Pandya and Yash Dayal, while there is also a strong spin contingent featuring 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 with 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 will also be counted 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.
This should be an even contest, with both teams looking to transition well into a new era. The Kingsmead pitch should give us plenty of runs with some purchase for the spinners and slow bowlers.
While the hosts might be out for revenge, expect India to hold the edge and 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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