The much-awaited India tour of South Africa kicks off on December 10th in Durban with the first T20I of the three-match series. The two cricketing giants will clash across 3 T20Is, 3 ODIs, and 2 Tests. Leading the Indian charge in the T20I series will be Suryakumar Yadav, with key players like Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ishan Kishan bolstering the squad.
South Africa counters with Aiden Markram at the helm and a strong team featuring David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, and Keshav Maharaj. The history between these two teams in the T20I format is tight, with India holding a slight edge with 13 wins to South Africa’s 10 in 24 encounters.
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Expect another thrilling contest as these two high-quality sides battle for supremacy. The Kingsmead pitch is expected to be slowish but fair, with a potential twist due to the forecast of 15mm of rain. The match will also mark a special occasion, serving as the farewell international pitch for Kingsmead’s head curator, Wilson Ngobese, who has dedicated his career to the ground since 1975.
South Africa
With Lungi Ngidi’s ankle injury, South Africa faces an inexperienced fast bowling attack, further weakened by the absence of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje. The batting lineup also suffers without Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen.
Probable XI: Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, Aiden Markram (capt), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, Tabraiz Shamsi
India
Meanwhile, India sees the return of some key players who rested during the recent T20I series against Australia. Ravindra Jadeja returns to the fold, with Axar Patel being omitted from the T20I squad. Both teams are navigating injuries and rest periods as they prepare for this exciting series.
Probable XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh
Fantasy XI Suggestion 1:
Heinrich Klaasen (vc), Reeza Hendricks, Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Mohammad Siraj, Gerald Coetzee, Ravi Bishnoi
Fantasy XI Suggestion 2:
Heinrich Klaasen, Reeza Hendricks (vc), Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja (c), Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Mohammad Siraj, Gerald Coetzee, Ravi Bishnoi, Lizaad Williams
