Rahul NareshThe South Africans look fresh and exciting on the back of two good tours in England and India. The Proteas have worked out their batting permutations over the course of the last two tours and will now look forward to performing well at the T20I World Cup in Australia.
Players like David Miller look rejuvenated, with the team also comprising a mix of young and exciting players. The question remains as to whether South Africa can finally end their quest for a World Cup trophy.
Going into the 2022 T20I World Cup, here are my top five South African players to look out for in the tournament.
Also Read – Top 5 Australian players to watch at 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
David Miller
David Miller seemed out of the conversation for best T20 finishers in world cricket. However, he has made his way back among the top batters in the shortest format of the game.
Miller is coming into the World Cup on the back of a good Indian Premier League campaign with the Gujarat Titans. He scored nearly 500 runs in the IPL earlier this year and has been performing well for his national side as well.
Miller scored a brilliant hundred in the second T20I against India. Although South Africa failed to win the series, Miller has managed to retain his form ahead of the World Cup in Australia. With the ball coming on to the bat and pace on Australian wickets, betting on Miller to score runs during the tournament would not be the worst idea.
Tristan Stubbs
Tristan Stubbs looks like a promising prospect for South African cricket. The Proteas have looked to provide him with the opportunity to bat a little higher up the order. However, Stubbs, who often bats lower down the order, has not had a good run of games batting at No. 4.
Stubbs announced himself to the world during South Africa’s tour of England when he played a blistering knock of 72 off just 28 balls in Bristol. This World Cup will be his first real opportunity to shine at an ICC event. Given that the South Africa management has consistently included Stubbs in the eleven, one should expect him to retain his starting position for the World Cup as well.
Keshav Maharaj
Maharaj is a player who came into the national setup as a Test specialist, but has now found his way into the South Africa white-ball squad as well.
Maharaj boasts a very good Test record and is now proving his worth in the shortest format of the game as well. He plays more often than not for South Africa in T20Is and provides variety in terms of when the captain wants to use him in an innings. Maharaj has been seen opening the batting as well as bowling through the middle overs for the Proteas.
This is Maharaj’s second inclusion in the T20I World Cup squad, and this time around, it will be interesting to see how the left-arm orthodox operates.
Aiden Markram
Aiden Markram is arguably the most important player in this South African squad. His role in the middle order will be crucial to South Africa’s performance in the World Cup.
Although Markram did not hit the 400-run mark in the 2022 IPL, his failure to do so had a lot to do with the position he batted at for the SunRisers Hyderabad and the situations he faced.
Markram is not only a strong batting option to have in a side but is also a canny bowler. He can roll his arm over and get through overs quickly if need be. Being one of the more experienced players in this South African set-up, many eyes will be on Markram during the World Cup.
Kagiso Rabada
Yet another player who is a part of the senior set-up of the squad and will be carrying much of the load on his shoulders is Kagiso Rabada. The 27-year-old will enjoy the pace and bounce that the Australian pitches have to offer.
Rabada has been performing reasonably well for his national side and is coming into the World Cup on the back of a decent IPL campaign with the Punjab Kings. He picked up 23 wickets during the season — a decent number for a bowler who often takes the new ball and bowls during the Powerplay.
For South Africa to have a good World Cup, it is crucial for Rabada to come good.
