India vs South Africa, 1st T20I: Match Preview, Playing XI and broadcast details

There are no free lunches in a developing economy and no long breaks in cricket calendars. So that’s that as India – on a 12-match winning streak in the format and on the cusp of making a world record – gear up to host South Africa for five T20Is only eleven days after the conclusion of a gruellingly competitive season of Indian Premier League.

While a considerable number of men on either side are coming after a good diet of white-ball cricket in the recent past, a slew of familiar faces is missing due to a combination of injuries and rest and rotation from the host’s ranks, with India being without their regular skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. The list of injuries is fast becoming an XI of its own, with both KL Rahul (groin), who was set to lead in Rohit’s absence, and Kuldeep Yadav (hand) joining their pals Suryakumar Yadav (left forearm), Deepak Chahar (back) and Ravindra Jadeja (bruised rib).

Of these, Rahul’s and Kuldeep’s were confirmed as late as the eve of the series-opener in New Delhi, leading India to elevate vice-captain Rishabh Pant as the skipper and Hardik Pandya as his deputy. Meanwhile, the missing ones aside, there is no dearth of players to keep an eye on. India have handed maiden call-ups to Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh apart from welcoming back Hardik and Dinesh Karthik into the side.

Pandya proved his and Gujarat Titans’ naysayers wrong in emphatic style, taking his team to an IPL title in their maiden season, one in which he averaged a touch over 44, struck above 130, score nearly 500 and if that was not enough, picked eight wickets while conceding at 7.28, including a Player of the Finale performance against the Rajasthan Royals.

Karthik has been a story of his own, having stormed his way back into the team at an age when most would either be already retired or would be planning to. However, a 330-run season at 55 and a strike rate over 180 with ten not outs in 16 innings established to the Indian selectors that there is plenty he has to offer.

Shreyas Iyer, who the Sri Lankans could not dismiss once in three games in India’s last bilateral series, losing 0-3, did not have the best of IPLs this year, but if he could muster up a performance like that in this series, he will have advanced a step towards his inclusion in the T20 World Cup later this year. However, Deepak Hooda is vying for that spot after notching up 451 runs at 136.66 for the Lucknow Supergiants, which was enough for him to earn a place in the squad.

India have shown faith in both Ishan Kishan and Venkatesh Iyer despite their underwhelming returns of late, but with none amongst Rohit, Kohli and Rahul in action, the series presents to them a clear opportunity to make a case as Ruturaj Gaikwad attempts to do the same. Meanwhile, India are not just spoilt for choices in the batting department. If anything, the recent-most edition of the IPL has proven for the nth time the riches India boast.

With a chart-topping 27-wicket season, Yuzvendra Chahal has cast in stone his status as India’s first-choice spinner, and while he may not be able to regroup with Kuldeep, he has all-rounder Hooda, Axar Patel and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi to form partnerships with. While Axar has had a fair bit of experience at the international stage, Bishnoi followed up an impressive home series against West Indies with a decent IPL 2022 where he scalped 13 wickets.

He may not be a sure-starter, but Umran Malik is easily the most exciting pace prospect for India, having constantly delivered at speeds to the north of 150kph in an IPL season he finished with 21 wickets. Arshdeep, Umran’s fellow debut-cap earner, possesses a different but no-less-important skillset. After all, he was not Punjab Kings’ go-to bowler at the death for no reason: he could not set alight the wicket-taking charts with only 13 to show, but he proved he is sure a cut from a different cloth, with his season economy of 7.82.

But none of this proves that South Africa are a lesser side. Quinton de Kock racked up 508 runs while striking at nearly 150 this IPL while Kagiso Rabada plucked 23 wickets to mark another successful season at a personal front, finishing third in the top wicket-takers list.

David Miller is fresh after a hands-down best-ever IPL season where he bulwarked his team in crunch situations and proved to be the difference between the winning and losing sides on more occasions than one, while there is also Aiden Markram, who had a promising season with the Sunrisers Hyderabad, averaging 47.63 for his 381 runs at a strike rate touching 140.

South Africa also boast of in their ranks the world No. 1 bowler of the format in Tabraiz Shamsi, while how potent a pace combination do Rabada and the returning Anrich Nortje form needs no telling. Throw into this mix a promising, beanpole of a bowler in Marco Jansen and there is every reason why Indian batters would not want to take the visitors lightly. The visitors’ batting unit wears a familiar look with Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Dwaine Pretorius, and Rassie van der Dussen alongside Temba Bavuma.

With a T20 World Cup approaching thick and fast, this series is a good time for both sides to find and finalise some combinations.

Pitch and conditions

Even before the start of the series, the tourists are already feeling the heat. With most of the northern and western parts of India being in the middle of a heatwave, the mercury won’t show any mercy even though this is a night affair. Meanwhile, there is no clear winner between defending and chasing teams at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, as the defend-chase record reads 3-3 in six T20Is. However, in domestic T20s, the chasers have won 42 of the 77 games played.

Playing combinations for IND vs SA

India 

In the absence of Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar will spearhead India’s pace attack alongside Harshal Patel, one of the finest – if not the – death-over specialists, and Avesh Khan. While head coach Rahul Dravid kept his cards close to his chest, not revealing too many details of the formation of the batting line-up, the last-moment injuries have solved a question or two, with Gaikwad set to open alongside Kishan.

Probable XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (c, wk), Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel/Ravi Bishnoi, Harshal Patel, Bhuvnenshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal

South Africa

Returning after a hip injury that kept him out of international cricket ever since the T20 World Cup last and some part of the IPL, Nortje is the first-choice partner for Rabada. It remains to be seen whether the visitors give a chance to the impressive Tristian Stubbs, who earned a maiden call-up on the back of a brilliant run at the CSA T20 Challenge where he finished as the second-highest run-scorer.

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

IND vs SA Head-to-Head

Matches- 15, India – 9, South Africa – 6

IND vs SA Broadcast Details

Match Timings – 7:00 PM IST

TV – Star Sports Network

Live Streaming – Disney+Hotstar