After coming out with flying colours in the recently concluded T20I series against Australia, Team India have now jetted down to South Africa as they begin the white-ball series with the T20Is. (IND Vs RSA Live Blog | Preview | Cricket News)
The first T20I is on Sunday, December 10 and will be played at Kingsmead, Durban.
The Men In Blue will have some regular names with the likes of Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav among others. Suryakumar Yadav, who led exceptionally well with a 4-1 series win over the Aussies, will be in charge against the Proteas too, as they look to win yet another series.
With the T20I World Cup next year, the management will look at the possible batting and bowling combinations. With that said, here are the three key battles to look out for ahead of the IND Vs RSA 1st T20I:
1) Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Tabraiz Shamsi
Indian southpaw Yashasvi Jaiswal had a decent outing with the bat in the Australia T20I series. Jaiswal managed to score 138 runs in five T20Is at a strike rate of 168.29 against the Aussies. In his wake however, will be Proteas Tabraiz Shamsi. The spinner, who is popular for his wild celebrations post-taking a wicket, will be pumped to take on the Indian batters especially Jaiswal. The left-hand batter will love to drive through the covers but Shamsi has got tricks up his sleeves especially on his home turf. This is one spicy battle to watch out for!
2) Ravi Bishnoi vs David Miller
A battle between ball and the bat is what cricket is all about. Ravi Bishnoi is known to be a fierce competitor with the ball in his hand and it was for everyone to see as he bamboozled the Australian batters in the recently concluded T20I series. South Africa's David Miller is one powerful hitter of the ball and the Proteas batter loves to hit the ball out of the ground. Moreover, Miller loves to take on the spinners and with Bishnoi in the form of his life, this is one battle that every cricket enthusiast would love to see.
3) Rinku Singh vs Gerald Coetzee
India's middle-order batter Rinku Singh finished the Australia T20I series with a strike rate of 175. His power-hitting in the middle and final overs is a key asset for India going into the South Africa T20I series as well as the T20 World Cup. Though, Gerald Coetzee could bring a curb on that with his intelligent bowling. The South African pacer was a revelation at the ODI World Cup 2023 and could use this series as an opportunity to seek a bid in the upcoming IPL 2024 auction.
