The India tour of South Africa 2024 kicks off with the first T20I at Kingsmead Stadium in Durban on Friday, November 8. India comes into this series after a dominant 3-0 win over Bangladesh, capping off with a massive 133-run victory where they posted 297 runs batting first. South Africa, on the other hand, recently tied their T20I series against Ireland 1-1, narrowly losing the final game by 10 runs.
Historically, India and South Africa have faced off in 27 T20I matches, with India leading with 15 wins to South Africa’s 11, while one match ended with no result. The upcoming game promises an exciting showdown as both teams look to make a strong start in this tour.
The Kingsmead pitch in Durban is known for being favourable to high-scoring matches, with pacers generally playing a more significant role than spinners. Teams winning the toss are likely to opt for bowling first, taking advantage of the pitch’s chasing potential.
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In the last T20I at this venue, South Africa and Australia put up a combined 381 runs, with 13 wickets falling in the process. With conditions favouring fast bowlers and chasing teams, fans can anticipate an action-packed opening to the series between India and South Africa.
South Africa
South Africa will have seven players from their T20 World Cup final squad back on the field for the first time since June, though Quinton de Kock is unavailable, choosing to go fishing, and Kagiso Rabada is being rested. While Anrich Nortjé and Tabraiz Shamsi are fit, they haven’t been selected for this match.
Probable XI: Reeza Hendricks, Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Nqaba Peter, Ottneil Baartman
India
Ramandeep Singh and Vijaykumar Vyshak are making their first appearances in the squad, while Yash Dayal, who has been part of the Test setup, remains uncapped. Unfortunately, Riyan Parag is out due to a “chronic right shoulder injury,” according to the BCCI, while Shivam Dube and Mayank Yadav are also sidelined with unspecified issues.
Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh
Fantasy XI Suggestion 1:
Sanju Samson, Heinrich Klaasen (vc), Suryakumar Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Hardik Pandya (c), Marco Jansen, Abhishek Sharma, Axar Patel, Keshav Maharaj, Arshdeep Singh, Gerald Coetzee
Fantasy XI Suggestion 2:
Heinrich Klaasen, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tristan Stubbs, Aiden Markram, Hardik Pandya, Marco Jansen (vc), Axar Patel, Keshav Maharaj, Ravi Bishnoi, Ottneil Baartman
