IND vs SA: India's predicted playing XI for first T20I against South Africa

India and South Africa will square off against each other in a three match T20I series and the first game is set to be played at the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on September 28. The men in blue are coming off a fantastic series victory against Australia and will be riding high on confidence. This will be the final T20I series as preparation for the ICC event next month, and hence the Rohit Sharma-led side will be looking to continue their excellent run for the last one year in the format. 

Coming to the team news, Mohammed Shami is still Covid- positive and hence, he is unlikely to take part in the series while Deepak Hooda has been ruled out of the series owing to an injury. Shahbaz Ahmed has been named as the replacement while Shreyas Iyer has been added to the squad. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik Pandya have been rested while Arshdeep Singh is back in the squad.  

India and South Africa previously met in a five match T20I series in June and the series ended up in a draw with the score line at 2-2 in the subcontinent. With all those said, let us look at India’s predicted XI for the first T20I.  

Here’s a look at India’s predicted XI for the first T20I 

Openers - KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma 

KL Rahul looked in good rhythm in the three games against Australia and batted with a lot of freedom in the powerplay. He played some mindboggling shots including the flick shot over the midwicket area for a maximum and scored a fifty in the first T20I. The right-hander will be looking to improve on his consistency in the upcoming fixtures.  

Skipper Rohit Sharma played a match-winning knock in the second T20I, however he has found ways to be dismissed after getting starts. The 35-year-old can be quite destructive if he stays at the crease for long duration. He has got all the shots in the book and will fancy making a big score in the upcoming fixture.  

Middle Order - Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik 

Virat Kohli had a terrific outing in the final T20I against Australia and he showed why he is rated highly when it comes to chasing down scores. He has looked in great touch ever since the start of Asia Cup 2022 and has managed to accelerate in the death overs after getting set. Kohli will be a big threat to the opposition given that he is striving back towards his usual consistency.  

Suryakumar Yadav has been India’s best batter in the format without a doubt in the last 12 months and he played a stunning knock in the final T20I against Australia to help India chase down the target. The right-hander has dominated the spinners in the middle overs and is not afraid of taking them on. His 360-degree shots make him one of the toughest batters to bowl at.  

Rishabh Pant was part of the playing XI in the second T20I against Australia but did not get a chance to bat in the rain shortened game. Dinesh Karthik was preferred ahead of him but Pant will have a big opportunity to redeem himself in the upcoming South Africa series in the absence of Hardik Pandya. He also provides the left-handed option and is an X factor player in the side.  

Dinesh Karthik did not have much time to settle in and he had to go after the bowling straightaway whenever he came into the crease. The wicketkeeper-batter still created an impact in the second T20I against Australia where he hit a six and four to finish off things. His role has been quite clear and will be hoping to win games for his side in the upcoming series. 

All Rounders - Axar Patel, Harshal Patel 

Axar Patel was the player of the series in the recently concluded T20I series against Australia and he was among the wicket's column consistently. The left-arm-spinner has almost cemented his place in the playing XI for the T20 World Cup and has proved to be a bankable option with the ball. He picked up eight wickets in three games with the ball and his economy rate was brillant.  

Harshal Patel’s return from injury wasn’t as fruitful as he would have liked and conceded a lot of runs at the back end of the innings. He missed his lengths more often and was punished a lot by the Australian batters recently. However, he has got the backing from the skipper and will be looking to put up a better show against South Africa.

Bowlers - Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh 

Jasprit Bumrah went for 50 runs in his four overs in the final T20I against Australia but his searing yorker to dismiss Aaron Finch in the second T20I did show the kind of impact he can make. The speedster hasn’t played much cricket in recent times, and the upcoming series will be handy for him to get back into his best groove ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022.  

Yuzvendra Chahal bowled a splendid spell in the final T20I in a high scoring game and was lot more effective once he slowed up his pace. The leg-spinner is quite clever with his variations and speed and he does go for runs at times. However, he is always a wicket-taking option and can turn around the games quickly.  

Arshdeep Singh was rested for the T20I series against Australia and was instead sent to NCA for a fitness programme. He is expected to be back in the playing XI against South Africa and the left-arm seamer will be a potent option at the death overs.