A new-look Indian side will be aiming to get their month-long tour to South Africa off to a winning start when they take on the Proteas in the first T20I at Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban on Sunday, December 10.

India’s tour of South Africa: Full coverage

India is all set to take on South Africa in a three-match T20I series. Team India is in South Africa for a month-long tour, where they will play three T20Is, three ODIs and two Test matches. The three T20Is will be crucial for both sides with the 2024 T20 World Cup on the horizon.

India will only be playing three more T20I matches following their series against South Africa, making it vital for the team management and selectors to have a look at potential candidates for the T20 World Cup.

Suryakumar Yadav, who led India to a 4-1 win against Australia in the five-match T20I series, will be leading the team once again in the absence of regular skipper Hardik Pandya. The all-rounder picked up an ankle injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup and hasn’t taken to the cricket field since.

South Africa has a poor T20I record against the Men in Blue, with their previous series win against India coming in 2015. They have lost two and drawn two of their last four T20I series against India.

India fielded a new-look young side in their series win against Australia. The likes of Yashavi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma were given the opportunity to showcase their talent and delivered for the team with some game-changing performances. Spinner Ravi Bishnoi became the number 1 ranked bowler in T20I cricket after claiming nine wickets in five matches against Australia and will be looking to continue in the same vien against South Africa.

WHAT THE CAPTAINS SAID

India captain Suryakumar said the series win against Australia was a big boost for the team, insisting that the team will continue playing fearless cricket. Suryakumar will be leading a young group of players, with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah rested for the T20I series.

“The World Cup defeat was a disappointment, and it is tough to move on from it. But the series win against Australia was a big boost even though it came in a different format. The players put their hands up against Australia and came up with fearless cricket, and we need to play the same against South Africa. I just told them (players) to do exactly what they do in franchise cricket,” said Suryakumar.

Meanwhile, South Africa skipper Aiden Markram said their current crop of players will not play a lot of cricket together before the World Cup which is why it’s important for players to understand their roles. Having given rest to a lot of the senior players, the Proteas has brought in the likes of Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Donovan Ferreira to the side for the T20I series.

“There is a lot of cricket in between but not a lot of cricket for us as a team together. As long as the guys understand the way that we want to try play as a team and can keep that close to them when playing in different leagues and tournaments. Hopefully by the time we meet up for the World Cup, the guys are used to that brand and how we want to operate as a team,” said Markram.

FULL SQUADS

India T20I squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohd Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, and Deepak Chahar.

South Africa T20I squad: Aiden Markram (C), Ottniel Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee (1st and 2nd T20Is), Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen (1st and 2nd T20Is), Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Beuran Hendricks, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, and Lizaad Williams.