India is set to begin an exciting tour of South Africa. They’ll start with three T20I games. The first match is at Kingsmead in Durban. It’s on Sunday, December 10.
With only six T20 matches left before the World Cup, India’s team needs to finalize their lineup. The event will take place in the Caribbean and USA next June. They won four out of five games against Australia recently. Players like Suryakumar Yadav hope to use that success to do well in the future.
The Proteas need to strengthen some positions in their T20I lineup. Playing a series against a strong Indian team is beneficial. Here are three player matchups to watch closely during the series:
3. Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Marco Jansen
Yashasvi Jaiswal has emerged as a genuine candidate for the opening place in India’s playing XI for the T20 World Cup, thanks to his ultra-aggressive style of play at the top of the order. A pair of impactful performances versus South Africa will only assist the youngster’s case.
Jaiswal enjoys going hard in the powerplay, which means he may see a lot more of South African speedster Marco Jansen. If the conditions are favorable, the tall left-arm seamer may create steep bounce and propel the ball both directions. It would be intriguing to watch whether Jaiswal adapts his game or relies on himself to take down Jansen.
2. Heinrich Klaasen vs Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi, the world’s No. 1 T20I bowler, has rapidly established himself as India’s go-to bowler in the shortest format. Suryakumar Yadav relied on Bishnoi for wickets during the T20I series against Australia, and the teenager delivered.
The leg spinner’s hardest problem thus far may be keeping Heinrich Klaasen at bay. Klaasen, perhaps the greatest spinner in the Proteas lineup, has brought down wrist spinners virtually at will. In the past, Yuzvendra Chahal and Adam Zampa appeared powerless against the top batter.
The leg-spinner’s biggest obstacle to far, though, could be avoiding Heinrich Klaasen. Klaasen, who is perhaps the greatest spinner in the Proteas lineup, frequently takes down wrist spinners virtually at will. In the past, players like as Adam Zampa and Yuzvendra Chahal have appeared powerless against the top hitter.
1. Suryakumar Yadav vs Keshav Maharaj
Suryakumar Yadav, despite being the No. 1 rated batter in the world in T20Is, has been criticized for unable to dominate left-arm spin. His stats versus Keshav Maharaj, on the other hand, are unexpectedly good.
In T20Is, SKY faced 28 balls from Maharaj and scored 48 runs without getting dismissed once. India will want their top batter to continue dominating this match since he is critical to their success in the series. However, Keshav Maharaj is a cunning bowler who may have already devised a strategy to worry the Indian skipper.