The Men in Blue have traveled to South Africa for a full-fledged series after a thrilling 4-1 victory against Australia in the five-match Twenty20 International series. With seasoned cricketers like Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj rejoining the team after a brief break after the ODI World Cup, Suryaumar Yadav will be captaining the team in Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya’s absence.
Conversely, because they were rested before the red-ball series, Temba Bavuma and Kagiso Rabadaa will not be playing for South Africa. Additionally, Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Magala are still recovering from their wounds, while Lungi Ngidi is also sidelined due to an ankle ailment. Consequently, the South African bowling unit now appears unimpressive.
But their batting is solid. Reeza Hendricks will have to fill in for Quinton de Kock in order to perform with Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen. The home team will also need to rely on David Miller and the highly effective Marco Jansen.
In terms of India, Rinku Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad will be highlighted. As they battle to make the senior team, all three cricket players will be looking to win a berth in the playing XI; therefore, this series will be crucial for them.
Pitch Report for Kingsmead
The Kingsmead surface should hold the hitters up. Although the pacers will have an edge, runs should be scored. It will be best to bowl first, and a total of more than 180 runs is a nice total.
South Africa Likely Playing XI
Jansen, Gerard Coetzee, and Lizaad Williams will be crucial for the Proteas in the absence of some of the best pacers in the world. Tristan Stubbs, who hopes to play well to qualify for the T20 World Cup in 2024, will be the main focus despite their formidable middle order.
Predicted XI: Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Lizaad Williams, and Tabraiz Shamsi
India
Ravi Bishnoi, who just rose to the top of the T20I bowling rankings, will be the main attraction. But he’ll have to prove himself in unfamiliar circumstances.
Predicted XI: Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar
SA vs. IND T20Is Head-to-Head Records:
| Matches Played | 24 |
| Zimbabwe won | 13 |
| Ireland won | 10 |
| First Meeting | 1 December, 2006 |
| Last Meeting | 30 October 2022 |
SA vs. IND 1st T20I Broadcast Details:
| Date | Sunday, December 10 |
| Timing | 07:30 PM (IST) |
| Live Streaming | Disney+Hotstar |
| Live Broadcast | Star Sports Network |
India
