India vs South Africa, 4th T20I: Match Preview, Head to Head, Playing XI and Broadcast Details

South Africa is leading the five-match series 2-1

Published - 16 Jun 2022, 17:18 IST | Updated - 16 Jun 2022, 17:18 IST

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After two disappointing losses, the 48-run victory in the third T20I came in as a major boost for the Indian side as they look to win the remaining two games to clinch the series. The Rishabh Pant-led India would look to carry the winning momentum when they host the Proteas in Rajkot for the fourth T20I of the series.

Not just the upcoming game, but even the one after that will be a do-or-die fixture for India if they win in Rajkot. The first two games saw the batters do their job decently, but the bowlers failed to impress. However, they left an impact in the previous game as they dished out South Africa and defended the total to lead their side to a win.

Indian openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan provided a terrific start to the team, putting up a brilliant 97-run stand. The duo went bonkers against the Proteas bowlers, and India looked well settled halfway into the first innings. A couple of wickets slowed their pace and broke the momentum, but Hardik Pandya emerged as the finisher and added some crucial runs towards the end.

For the visitors, there has not been any update on Quinton de Kock’s recovery, and he is likely to be out. South Africa’s performance with the ball in the first two games was reasonably good, but they could not meet the expectations in the third game. After a decent show with the ball, the batters failed to chase down the target and fell prey to the Indian line-up.

The Gujarati duo of Axar Patel and Harshal Patel provided the first wickets for India by dismissing the Proteas openers, putting the visitors under pressure. Yuzvendra Chahal regained his form and struck not just once but thrice in his four-over spell. Harshal’s game was commendable as he ended up picking four wickets. The upcoming contest will be vital for India to keep their hopes alive.

Pitch Report

The Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot is a high-scoring surface, with the lowest and only score defended being 196 in the three T20Is that have been played at this venue so far. It will be a worthy battle to watch out for as the pitch has witnessed some good scores being chased and defended. The big-hitters will have a bountiful opportunity to fill their bags with plenty of runs.

Playing Combinations for IND vs SA

India

Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant will need to step into the game and execute their plans, while Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya need to be consistent as finishers. As Avesh Khan has not been much impressive, there are chances of Umran Malik making a debut.

Predicted XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan/Umran Malik

South Africa

In the absence of De Kock, Reeza Hendricks will continue to open the batting alongside Temba Bavuma. South Africa are likely to go forward with an unchanged team from the previous fixture as they have got good composure and understanding of the situation against their opponents. Kagiso Rabada has been the standout bowler from the lot, while other bowlers need to buckle up after the big loss.

Predicted XI: Temba Bavuma (c), Reeza Hendricks, Dwaine Pretorius, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje