With an unassailable 2-1 lead in the 4-match series, the Indian cricket team takes on hosts South Africa with the hopes of securing a historic series win. India did well to win two of the first three matches but South Africa would be keen to not let the tourists return home with the trophy. Though the Proteas can no longer with the series, they still have the hopes alive to get a 2-2 draw. For the match, however, India could hand debuts to Vijakumar Vyshak and Yash Dayal, both of whom have been warming the bench since the start of the series.

It was all-rounder Ramandeep Singh who earned his maiden T20I cap in the third match of the series, against South Africa. With India longer in the danger of losing the series, the management might think of handing two more maiden T20I caps.

India have used 12 out of their 15 players in the first three games and it would be interesting to see if one among the two uncapped pacers Yash Dayal or Vysakh Vijaykumar gets a debut cap in case the pitch warrants an extra specialist speedster. For Samson, he would like to forget that he is turning into Marco Jansen‘s ‘bunny’ after back-to-back failures.

In the final game, it wouldn’t be a bad option for skipper Surya to check on Ramandeep Singh’s steady medium pace as he can be an asset with multiple skills, including ability to field at all positions save keeping.

Centuries by Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma on either side of an inept batting performance has kept India’s nose ahead in the series and team would want a more collective batting effort to clinch it 3-1.

The Wanderers ‘Bull Ring’ has always been a happy hunting ground for India, where they won the 2007 T20 World Cup final against Pakistan.

Even during the previous T20I series a year back, skipper Suryakumar Yadav‘s last international hundred till date came at this very stadium and that too in a winning cause.

The Indian captain, who enjoys a staggering victory percentage of 81.25, having come up trumps in 13 out of the 16 matches, would like to do one better compared to the last series in the Rainbow Nation which had ended in a 1-1 draw with one game being washed out.

India’s Likely Playing XI vs South Africa, 4th T20I: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Dayal, Varun Chakaravarthy.

With PTI Inputs

Multiple Indian Premier League (IPL) stars are expected to make their India debut in the 1st T20I of a four-match series against South Africa in Kingsmead, Durban. St George’s Park in Gqeberha will host the second T20I on November 10, with the third game scheduled for SuperSport Park in Centurion on November 13. The series concludes with the fourth T20I at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on November 15. The Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team arrived in South Africa on the back of posting a mind-boggling 297/6 against Bangladesh in Hyderabad, the highest score by a full member nation in T20Is.

South Africa will come hard at India, in what will also be the first meeting between the two teams since the T20 World Cup final at Barbados in June.

With Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal set to leave for Australia for a five-match Test series later this month, southpaw Abhishek Sharma will continue to open alongside veteran wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who smashed a ton during the record-breaking encounter against Bangladesh in Hyderabad last month.

With Riyan Parag recovering from an injury at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Tilak Varma will be shipped straight into the team, despite blowing hot and cold in the recently-concluded Mens T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024.

Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh will add much-needed stability in the middle-order, with the trio also enjoying also coming into the series with plenty of runs under their belts against Bangladesh.

Another player who’s coming on a high is pace bowling all-rounder Ramandeep Singh, who’s retained by Kolkata Knight Riders. Ramandeep had a strike-rate of 201.61 in KKR’s IPL 2024 win and earned a reputation of being a handy seamer and gun fielder. He recently hit 64 not out for India A in the Emerging Men’s Asia Cup semi-final against Afghanistan A, though it didn’t take the side in the final.

Varun Chakravarthy could be the sole spinner for the series-opener in Durban, while Arshdeep Patel and Avesh Khan will lead the pace attack.

Karnataka pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak is contention to make his debut as the third pacer in the side.

India likely XI vs South Africa in 1st ODI:

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Vijaykumar Vyshak

(With IANS Inputs)

Ramandeep Singh and Vijaykumar Vyshak earned maiden India call-ups on Friday as the BCCI announced squad for an upcoming T20I tour of South Africa. Pacer Mayank Yadav, who recently made his India debut during the T20I series against Bangladesh, has not been included in the squad for the trip to South Africa, owing to an injury. “Mayank Yadav and Shivam Dube were unavailable for selection owing to injuries,” the BCCI said in a release.

All-rounder Riyan Parag was also unavailable for selection. As per BCCI’s release, the is currently at The BCCI Centre of Excellence for long term resolution of his chronic right shoulder injury.

Suryakumar Yadav will continue to lead the side, while the BCCI didn’t name any designated vice-captain for the four-match series.

The series will get underway on November 8, while the final game will be on the 14th of November. The matches will be played in four different venues — Durban, Gqeberha, Centurion and Johannesburg, respectively.

There was no place in the squad for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is expected to lead India ‘A’ during their upcoming tour of Australia.

Meanwhile, Ramandeep’s inclusion comes on the back of his stellar performance in the ongoing ACC T20 Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup. However, India’s campaign came to an end after a defeat to Afghanistan in the semi-finals.

Along with the T20I squad, the BCCI also named the Test squad for the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia, starting November 22. Three uncapped Test players Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana and Abhimanyu Easwaran are in line for their long-format debut. Since India are scheduled to play five Tests, the BCCI has named a big travelling contingent, also comprising of three reserve players.

India’s squad for 4 T20Is against South Africa: 

Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.

Shreyas Iyer failed to impress in his first match in the Duleep Trophy 2024 as he was dismissed for 9 by Vijaykumar Vyshak during the clash between India C and India D at the Rural Development Trust Stadium in Anantapur on Thursday. Vyshak, who plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League (IPL), came up with a brilliant delivery that moved slightly outside the off stump and Iyer ended up edging it to wicket-keeper Abishek Porel behind the stumps. This was a letdown for India D skipper Shreyas Iyer who will be in contention for a spot in the Indian cricket team squad for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh starting September 19.

Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, and Prasidh Krishna, all three white-ball experts, will miss the first round of the Duleep Trophy.

Wicketkeeper batter Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the first round of the Duleep Trophy, due to a groin injury sustained during the ongoing All-India Buchi Babu Tournament.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Medical Team is closely monitoring his condition and working towards ensuring a swift recovery.

The Men’s Selection Committee has named Sanju Samson as Kishan’s replacement in the India D squad, the BCCI informed in a statement.

Batter Suryakumar Yadav will also be unavailable for the first Duleep Trophy round after suffering a right thumb sprain while fielding in the All-India Buchi Babu Tournament.

The BCCI Medical Team is continuing to assess his injury, and a further evaluation next week will determine his availability for the second round.

Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna will miss the upcoming event as he is nearing completion of his rehab following surgery for his left quadriceps tendon and will miss the first-round game of the Duleep Trophy.

Teams:

India C (Playing XI): Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Abishek Porel(w), Baba Indrajith, Aryan Juyal, Hrithik Shokeen, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Manav Suthar, Anshul Kamboj, Himanshu Chauhan.

India D (Playing XI): Devdutt Padikkal, Yash Dubey, Ricky Bhui, Shreyas Iyer(c), Srikar Bharat, Atharva Taide(w), Axar Patel, Saransh Jain, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Aditya Thakare.

(With IANS inputs)