SA vs IND T20I Series Promises Thrills Despite Missing Stars

The Proteas and India kick off a four-match T20I series at Kingsmead on Friday, only months after India edged out South Africa to win the T20 World Cup final. Both teams feature major lineup changes, with South Africa missing key players like Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Quinton de Kock. Meanwhile, India has retained just four World Cup-winning members—Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Arshdeep Singh—as most of their core players prepare for an upcoming Test series in Australia.

South Africa’s head coach Rob Walter noted the growing challenge of managing squads amid overlapping formats and league commitments. "Balancing short-form cricket, leagues, and Tests is becoming harder. We need strong management to prioritise players’ well-being and performance for South Africa," said Walter. Fortunately, he can count on in-demand franchise players like David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen, and Keshav Maharaj for the series.

Originally part of India’s 2021/22 tour, this series was postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions. Now rescheduled, it promises Cricket South Africa a revenue boost from Indian television rights. Additionally, India’s squad features new faces like Ramandeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, and Yash Dayal, who hope to make an impression before the IPL auction in Saudi Arabia on November 24-25.

Despite the absence of marquee names, both teams aim to showcase their depth and resilience in a series expected to deliver thrilling competition.

Squads for T20 series:

Proteas: Aiden Markram (captain), Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Patrick Kruger, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Mihlali Mpongwana, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Andile Simelane, Lutho Sipamla (third and fourth matches only) and Tristan Stubbs.

India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), 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.