IND vs SA: Just 10 days after the conclusion of a two-month-long IPL 2022, international cricket will resume for the Indian team when they host South Africa for a 5-T20I series from June 9 to 19th.
Senior players Rohit Sharma, who is India’s captain, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami are rested while Jadeja and Suryakumar Yadav are injured.
In the squad announced, there are some fresh faces with their maiden India call-ups – Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh – while some others –Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik – make their return to the national side.
Here’s India’s squad for the SA T20I series:
KL Rahul (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik
IND vs SA: Here’s how India’s eleven could look like in the IND vs SA T20Is:
Openers: KL Rahul (C), Ishan Kishan
India’s captain for the series KL Rahul has so far amassed 537 runs in the IPL and is the second leading run-scorer in the season.
Ishan Kishan may be seen partnering him over Ruturaj Gaikwad providing the left-handed breakup in the right-handed top three. Kishan is India’s scheme of things in the shortest format hasn’t had the best of the IPLs. But in the last five matches, he’s got four scores of over 40 and has recorded over 400 runs, although the dip in his strike rate is slightly worrying.
Middle-order: Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk)
In the absence of the injured Suryakumar, Shreyas Iyer would like to strengthen his position in the T20I eleven. The KKR captain had a mediocre season with an average of 30 and strike rate of 134 – but before the IPL he was the Man of the Series against Sri Lanka.
Rishabh Pant, the vice-captain for the series, averaged 30 in the IPL – but his strike rate of 150 was up to his standards, though he’d like to put on a big knock now.
Finishers: Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik’s thunderous form was difficult to ignore for the selectors and the 36-year-old has got a recall to the national side after three years. Karthik struck 287 runs at a strike rate of 191 and was unarguably the best finisher of the tournament.
Hardik Pandya, who has led the Gujarat Titans to the top of the points table, makes his return to the Indian team after the T20 World Cup. Not only he had an impressive season with the bat – 413 runs – but also, importantly, Pandya has been bowling overs and also clocked 140. If Pandya can give all four overs, India can add an extra batsman in the eleven.
All-rounders: Axar Patel
In absence of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel gives the perfect option as a spinner who could contain the runs plus hit some lusty blows at the end of the innings; he’s done this role to perfection for the Capitals this season – bowling at an economy of 7.46, and striking at 151.
Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan/Umran Malik
Bhuvneshwar Kumar had a renaissance IPL this season; as he’s shown in the IPL that he’s one of India’s best seamers in the country, especially as a death overs operator and also retained his swing with the new ball, finishing with 12 wickets at an economy of 7.34. Yuzvendra Chahal, the Purple Cap holder currently with 26 wickets, has also sealed his place in the eleven.
Barring a couple of off days, Harshal Patel was expectedly brilliant in the death overs throughout the season and, having made his India debut before the IPL, is expected to play ahead of Arshdeep.
For the last slot, pace sensation Umran Malik will tussle with Avesh Khan as the middle-overs enforcer. Both were impressive in the IPL, but Avesh may just pip Malik for the first T20I as he had been part of the team against Sri Lanka.
