IND vs SA: Five mini-battles to watch out for in T20I series

The Indian team will welcome South Africa for a five-match T20I series later this month. The series will commence on 9th June at the Arjun Jaitley stadium in New Delhi. India will be without their star players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah, who are rested for the series.

KL Rahul will lead the top-ranked T20 side in the world, in the absence of Rohit Sharma. India is currently on a 12-match winning streak in T20Is, and a win in the first T20I against South Africa will set a new world record for the most consecutive wins in T20Is.

Rahul, who led LSG to the playoffs in the recently concluded IPL 2022, will lead a relatively young side against the Proteas as the team management looks to test their squad ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year. It is expected to be a hard-fought series. Both teams have got some world-class players in their ranks and will feature some heavyweight clashes in the matches.

Here are five key battles that are likely to dictate the matches in the series:

1. KL Rahul vs Kagiso Rabada

KL Rahul enjoyed another prolific season in the IPL as he breached the 600-run mark for the 4th time in five years. The elegant opener’s partnership with Quinton de Kock proved formidable for the teams in this year’s tournament. The right-hander boasts an impressive average of 40.68 striking the ball at 142.49 with two centuries to his name in T20Is.

Kagiso Rabada finished as the third-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2022 with 23 wickets. The speedster was at his best in the latter stages of the tournament as he tormented batters with his fiery pace. The 26-year-old is just one wicket short of reaching 50 wickets in T20Is for South Africa.

Rahul’s clash with Rabada is one of the most anticipated battles of the upcoming series. The Indian skippers staying at the crease will set up the platform for the incoming batters. Meanwhile, Rabada will look to get rid of Rahul early to give his side a good start in their bowling innings.