3 Reasons why India can win the T20I series against South Africa

Batters with a fresh approach in top order

India will not have the services of their regular opener and skipper Rohit Sharma, and this will be an opportunity for the youngsters to grab the spot. With KL Rahul being injured, Ruturaj Gayakwad is expected to be partnered by Ishan Kishan, at the top of the order.

With no Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer is likely to continue at three, a position where he enjoyed against Sri Lanka. The number four and five slots have several contenders waiting and the latest entrant to the list is Hardik Pandya, who batted splendidly in IPL 2022 at the position. However, Rishabh Pant is likely to get the nod at number four, while Pandya can come in at five according to the situation.

Dinesh Karthik, Venkatesh Iyer, and Deepak Hooda will have the finishing duties in their hands, and one among them is likely to make the playing XI for the first T20I. Karthik is making a return to the side after a long time, on the back of a superlative IPL form, while Iyer and Hooda have been impressive with their starts in international cricket.

The new batting order with the inclusion of Hardik and Karthik looks a lot more destructive and the strike rate issue is likely to come down heavily after these changes.