IND vs SA: Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar cut cake as India receives rousing welcome in Guwahati

The Men in Blue arrived in Guwahati to a warm reception by Indian fans ahead of their second T20I against South Africa on Sunday, the 2nd of October. The team bus, much like the previous venue in Trivandrum, was surrounded by ardent Indian fans. The last match's protagonists, Deepak Chahar and Arshdeep Singh were seen cutting a cake together upon their arrival in a video shared by the BCCI.

India drew first blood in the three-match T20I series thanks to a scintillating display of swing bowling from Deepak Chahar and Arshdeep Singh in the first T20I against the Proteas. The duo had the visitors reeling at 9/5 as the South African batters were rendered clueless by their new ball exploits.

The visitors were restricted to a modest total thanks to that breathtaking opening spell by Chahar and Arshdeep. Although India lost skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli early in the chase, Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul ensured the victory registering contrasting half-centuries. India's rip-roaring success in the series opener was greeted by a rousing reception in Guwahati, with the aforementioned fast bowling duo cutting a cake on their arrival at the team hotel.

Jasprit Bumrah's injury could provide an opportunity for Deepak Chahar to stake a claim in the Indian team 

Earlier, India were dealt a huge blow in their pursuit of a second T20 WC title as Jasprit Bumrah was reportedly ruled out of the upcoming ICC tournament. The apex cricketing body has still to confirm the extent of the bowling ace's injury but has issued an official statement, ruling him out of the ongoing South Africa series. RCB's Mohammed Siraj is going to join the Indian team for the remaining fixtures as a replacement for the injured pacer.

Bumrah's injury has opened up a place for a fast bowler in the 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup and Deepak Chahar is one of several names in contention to fill the void. Chahar, who was named on the standby list for the global event in Australia, faces stiff competition from star pacer Mohammed Shami, also included in the reserves.