As Team India enters a period of transition in the shortest format of the game, a number of second-line stars, including Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy, and Abhishek Sharma, will be hopeful for a breakaway series in the four T20Is against South Africa, which begins today, i.e., November 8, at 8:30 PM, at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban.
With things like an auction, and especially for a huge event like the IPL, a lot of things may come together for players. In South Africa, for the next week, it will be virtually nothing less than a competition between players vying for the proprietors of one of 10 franchises’ signatures on a paycheck rather than for a team. Possibly a bold remark, but surely a fact.
The visitors offer a remarkable blend of young vitality and experience. The team, captained by Suryakumar Yadav, includes explosive batsmen and versatile all-rounders like Rinku Singh, and Tilak Varma, who are renowned for their aggressive style and reliability in the top order. Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi will also seek to undermine South Africa’s formidable lineup with variation and accurate bowling techniques, while Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel give India’s bowling attack an additional weapon to hold opponents at bay.
With an elite combination of batters, all-rounders, and specialist bowlers, SA would be very confident about avenging their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Final defeat. The likes of Heinrich Klaasen‘s wicketkeeping and finishing skills could be useful in the middle order, while Aiden Markram and Reeza Hendricks will likely serve as top-order mainstays. Ottneil Baartman and Mihlali Mpongwana’s all-around skills enable flexible answers from both ends, while Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj offer plenty of strength with their contributions with the ball early in the innings.
Head-to-Head:
India and South Africa have played 27 T20I matches against each other, of which the Men in Blue have won 15, while the Proteas have won 11. One match ended without an outcome.
Where to Watch:
TV: Sports18
OTT: JioCinema