IND vs SA: 1st T20I – Predicted South Africa Playing XI vs India

The visitors South Africa will take on the strong-looking Indian side in a five-match T20I series set to start on June 9 (Thursday). The first match of the series will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi, and both teams will want to start the series on a winning note.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has announced a strong-looking squad against the Men in Blue, with the wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock to play a crucial role in the batting department. In bowling, the number one T20I bowler Tabraiz Shamsi will have the responsibility to lead the bowling attack along with speedster Kagiso Rabada.

With the 2022 T20 World Cup slated to be played in Australia in October this year, the Proteas side will have the perfect opportunity to find the right combination for their playing XI, and they will be tested in front of the strong Indian squad under the new leadership of skipper KL Rahul.

Here’s a look at South Africa’s Predicted XI against India:

Openers: Quinton de Kock (wk) and Temba Bavuma

The wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock had an excellent Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as he finished third in the most runs list after smashing 508 runs in just 15 innings. The left-handed batter was brutal with the bat and gave several quick starts to its new franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). De Kock will be looking to replicate his performance in the upcoming series as well.

Skipper Temba Bavuma will have the responsibility of occupying the crease from one end and keeping the scoreboard ticking. Bavuma is a very compact player and has all the shots in his arsenal. He has played a total of 21 T20Is and scored 501 runs at a decent strike rate of 123.1.

Middle-Order: Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller

South Africa’s middle-order is packed with talented batters who have proved their worth at the highest level. Batter Reeza Hendricks will probably come at the number three position, and he likes to play his shots. Similarly, Aiden Markram, who had an excellent IPL 2022 after scoring 381 runs in 14 matches, will try to take on the Indian spinners during the middle phased overs of their innings.

Batter Rassie van der Dussen did not have much say with the bat during IPL 2022, but the right-handed batter can clear the ropes easily and will want to prove his worth in the upcoming series. The left-handed batter David Miller was in his prime best during IPL 2022 as he played several match-winning knocks for the champions Gujarat Titans. Miller is expected to give similar performances for his national team as well.

All-Rounder: Dwaine Pretorius

Bowling all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius is a handy player. The right-arm pacer has a lot of variations and can bowl a deadly bouncer as well. With the bat, he can play a few strokes, especially during the death overs. Pretorius was with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during IPL 2022 and would have gotten a good idea of Indian conditions so far.

Bowlers: Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi

Express pacers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje will have the responsibility to take wickets during the field restrictions. Both pacers have given some match-winning performances for their country while bowling in tandem and will want to give their level best in front of a strong Indian batting line-up.

In the spin department, the bowling duo of Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi will want to choke the flow of runs during the middle overs. The pitch at Arun Jaitley Stadium is expected to provide some assistance for the spinners,  and the spin duo will want to take full advantage of those conditions.

Probable South Africa playing XI: 

Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (C), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje.