Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: India launch build-up to next year’s T20 World Cup through their five-match series against South Africa and would be bolstered by return of vice-captain Shubman Gill and top all-rounder Hardik Pandya in Cuttack on Tuesday.
Before beginning their T20 World Cup title defence against USA in Mumbai on February 7, India would have 10 T20Is, five against South Africa followed by another five against New Zealand, to fine tune combinations.
Since winning eight matches in a row to win the World Cup, India have notched up 26 wins and four losses that includes a seven-match streak to lift Asia Cup in Dubai.
They haven’t lost a series during this period and would look to tweak minor things against South Africa, whom they beat in the T20 World Cup final.
Gill returns after a month on the sidelines with a neck spasm suffered during India’s first Test against the Proteas and would resume his explosive opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma.
A tab would be kept on Gill’s workload as Sharma would look to carry on his stupendous domestic form at Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s.
Equally significant is Pandya’s return following a lay-off for two months with a quadriceps injury at the Asia Cup. He too returns with some domestic action at SMAT for Baroda and adds depth and variety to the team.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav has underwent a prolonged lean patch with the bat and would be keen to be among runs again, having failed to scored a fifty in his last 20 innings, as his strike rate dropped to 127.77 from over 187 in 2022.
Continuation of dry run would only add pressure on him even as he has to take pick either Sanju Samson or Jitesh Sharma as the keeper, and provide batting opportunities to them.
To accommodate Gill up top, Samson drops below to an unfamiliar role in the batting order and has been in rich vein of form in his recent domestic outings.
South Africa also welcome pacer Anrich Nortje for his first international appearance since last year's T20 World Cup final and veteran left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj but would be without injured duo of batter Tony de Zorzi and young semer Kwena Maphaka.
India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Ottineil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donnovan Ferreria, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tristan Stubbs.
Match Starts: 7pm IST.
Live on Star Sports and JioHotstar.
