IND vs SA: 5 Indian players to watch out for in T20I series

India will lock horns with South Africa in the five-match T20I series starting from June 9. The Men in Blue will be led by the limited-overs vice-captain KL Rahul as regular skipper Rohit Sharma has been rested for this series. Nonetheless, a new-look Indian team with a combination of youth and experience would be hoping to register a fourth successive bilateral T20I series win on home soil. The upcoming series can also mark the debut of pace sensations Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh. Apart from that, finishers Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya would be making their return to the national team. All these players have been rewarded for their outstanding performances in IPL 2022. Without further ado, here’s a look at five Indian players who are expected to make a tremendous impact in the home series. 1. KL Rahul KL Rahul. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP via Getty Images) KL Rahul had a memorable IPL 2022 both with the bat as well as on the field. He led the new franchise Lucknow Super Giants from the front and took them to playoffs. He finished as the second-highest run-scorer this season and also scored 500+ runs in an edition for a fifth successive year. While there were rumors that either Hardik Pandya or Shikhar Dhawan would lead India in this series, the selectors zeroed in on Rahul. Rahul finished the tournament with 616 runs at an average of 51.33 and a strike rate of 135.38. More importantly, he led LSG to the playoffs where they were knocked out by RCB in the Eliminator. The Karnataka cricketer would be eager to settle the scores as India were whitewashed under him in the three-match ODI series in South Africa earlier this year. 2. Arshdeep Singh Arshdeep Singh. (Photo Source: Twitter/IPL) Arshdeep Singh was one of Punjab Kings’ mandatory retentions for IPL 2022 along with skipper Mayank Agarwal. He might not have been impactful in the wickets column, but the left-arm pacer impressed one and all with his death-over brilliance and the ability to hit the blockhole at regular intervals this season. The yorker specialist finished this year’s IPL with 10 wickets at an economy rate of 7.58, which also included his best bowling figures of 3/37. Arshdeep would be expected to shine in the death overs with his well-disguised yorkers during the upcoming series. The 23-year-old, who was an integral part of India’s 2018 ICC U19 World Cup triumph, had to wait patiently for four long years in order to prove himself at the highest level and now he would be pumped up to make the most of his opportunities. 3. Dinesh Karthik Dinesh Karthik. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Dinesh Karthik, who was not in the national team’s scheme of things for a long time, made the selectors present him with an opportunity courtesy of some excellent performances in the IPL 2022 where he not only unleashed his pyrotechnics in the middle-order but was also RCB’s savior in the competition. He enjoyed a dream run in the marquee tournament as he scored 330 runs at a strike rate of 183 but more importantly, he had an outstanding strike rate of 220 in death overs. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten in 10 out of 16 matches. Above all, the Tamil Nadu cricketer was awarded the ‘Super Striker of the Season’ award and he would be eager to carry forward his splendid form into the upcoming series. Notably, the 37-year-old will don the India jersey for the first time since India’s heartbreaking defeat in the 2019 World Cup semifinal. 4. Umran Malik Umran Malik. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Umran Malik who was one of the mandatory retentions of Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2022 has all the ingredients in him that includes pace, accuracy, and consistency. While he bowled in excess of 150 kmph regularly, the J&K speedster also shined with multiple three-wicket hauls, one four-wicket haul, and a fifer. The fastest delivery bowled by Malik this season clocked at 157 kmph and he finished the tournament with 22 wickets from 14 matches with his figures of 5/25 being his best performance which came against the eventual champions Gujarat Titans. His hard work in the cash-rich tournament has borne fruits and the selectors decided to reward him with the India jersey. The tearaway fast bowler would now be eager to bamboozle the seasoned Proteas batters with his express fast deliveries. 5. Hardik Pandya Hardik Pandya. (Photo Source: Getty Images) India will be excited to welcome Hardik Pandya back after he enjoyed a dream IPL 2022 for the new entrants Gujarat Titans with the bat, ball, and captaincy. After being released by the Mumbai Indians, Hardik was roped in by GT for a staggering INR 15 crore and was also appointed as their captain. He showcased outstanding leadership skills and led the Titans to a title triumph in their very first season. The Baroda cricketer finished the competition with 487 runs from 15 matches at an average of 44.27, including four half-centuries. Apart from that he also registered eight scalps to his name with his best performance coming in the grand finale where his match-winning figures of 3/17 completely broke the backbone of the Rajasthan Royals, restricting them to a paltry 130/9. Hardik Pandya would be donning the India jersey for the first time after the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 last November after which he was on an indefinite break to regain fitness and rediscover his mojo.

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