The Indian cricket team arrived on November 4 in Durban for an exciting 4-match T20I series against South Africa. This squad, a balanced mix of emerging talent and experienced players, is led by Suryakumar Yadav, with VVS Laxman stepping in as head coach in place of Gautam Gambhir, who is occupied with Border-Gavaskar Trophy preparations.
To add some fun before the series, players participated in a South Africa-themed quiz. Abhishek Sharma and Axar Patel took on the role of interviewers, quizzing teammates on South African trivia. One question for Tilak Verma was, “Is South Africa the only country with three capitals in the world?” The lighthearted session wrapped up with questions like, “Does Axar Patel have the loudest laugh in the squad?”
India enters this series in strong form, boasting a remarkable 21-1 record in 2024, including a 10-match winning streak. Recently, they claimed the T20 World Cup title and dominated Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh in bilateral series. Despite a blend of younger players and others returning to the squad, expectations remain high for India’s success in South Africa.
India squad: 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
South Africa squad: Aiden Markram (c), Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Patrick Kruger, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Mihlali Mpongwana, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Andile Simelane, Lutho Sipamla (3rd and 4th T20Is), and Tristan Stubbs
India vs South Africa Schedule
1st T20I: November 8, Durban
2nd T20I: November 10, Gqeberha
3rd T20I: November 13, Centurion
4th T20I: November 15, Johannesburg