SA vs IND, 2nd T20I: Proteas Opt to Bowl As Rain Threatens To Disrupt Proceedings; Check Playing XIs

Gqeberha: In the wake of the washed-out series opener in Durban, both India and South Africa now have just five T20Is to solidify their line-ups for the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.

The second and third matches of the series are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday in Gqeberha and Johannesburg, respectively. However, there’s a possibility of rain at St. George’s Park on Tuesday and cloudy skies over the Wanderers throughout the week.

The first T20I in Durban, sold out since last month’s end, hints at strong attendance for the remaining white-ball games. The entire tour is expected to provide a financial boost of around R1 billion (approximately ₹439.5 Cr).

These T20Is mark South Africa’s final competitive matches before naming their T20 World Cup squad, which will play three matches in the West Indies before the tournament. India, on the other hand, have this series and one more against Afghanistan in January before finalizing their T20 World Cup squad. Both teams will also consider performances in T20 leagues, especially the SA20 and IPL, where their key players participate.

For fringe players, this series is a significant opportunity. South Africa may introduce two debutants, left-arm quick Nandre Burger and right-arm medium-fast Ottniel Baartman, and might give opening batter Matthew Breetzke a chance in the remaining games. While India’s touring group doesn’t include uncapped players, Mukesh Kumar, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma – have limited T20I experience.

With fixtures closely spaced, a one-day gap between each T20I and two before the ODIs, South Africa will soon enter the holiday season, providing fans a chance to relax and enjoy some mid-December cricket.

Playing XIs

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar

South Africa: Matthew Breetzke, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen(w), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Gerald Coetzee, Lizaad Williams, Tabraiz Shamsi