South Africa vs India, T20I Series 2018: Combined XI of the Series

Team India continued their rampaging form in the limited overs cricket. With a thrilling win in the final match of the tour, the Men in Blue sealed the three-match T20I series 2-1. This win came after the team had earlier thumped the South Africans 5-1 in the ODI series. Certainly, they arrived in the T20I series riding sky high on confidence. Also, the exposure that the Indian cricketers have in the shortest format made them the firm favorites in the series.

However, the hosts could not be ruled out either. They had a new look side in the T20Is and many expected them to play fearless cricket. Moreover, the home advantage was with them. Amidst this backdrop, the Men in Blue took on South Africa in the first T20I at the Wanderers. A brilliant half century from Shikhar Dhawan set the tone for a huge Indian total. Later, it was Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s career best figures of 5/24 sealing the fate for the Indian side despite a fighting fifty from Reeza Hendricks.

In the second game, team India failed to get a score in excess of 200. However, Manish Pandey and MS Dhoni hit unbeaten fifties to take India over 180-mark. But, their fifties were overshadowed by brisk fifties from Heinrich Klaasen and JP Duminy.

The South African win set the platform ideally for the decider in Cape Town. India tottered to 172 in the game. And South Africa struggled with the bat too. Fifty from JP Duminy, and a quickfire 49 from debutante Christiaan Jonker got the Proteas close but they fell short by 7 runs. India sealed the series 2-1 with the narrow win.

Here is the Combined XI of the South Africa vs India T20I series:

1. Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan was arguably the best Indian batsmen in the series. Dhawan continued his good form of the ODIs in the T20Is. In the first T20I, Dhawan set up the base for a huge Indian total with a 39-ball 72. He scored 24 in the next game and those runs came at a brisk pace.

In the final match, he scored another fighting 47 which held the Indian innings together. With 143 runs to his name, Dhawan finished as the top scorer for the Indian team in the series. With the other opener, Rohit Sharma, struggling for form, Dhawan’s contribution at the top order became very important.

2. Reeza Hendricks

South Africa opener Reeza Hendricks had a decent time with the bat in the series. Hendricks kept the hosts in the frame in the first match with a well-compiled 70 to his name. It was his knock that was proving to be a big threat for the Indian side in the match. He backed it up with a decent 26 in the next game that followed. Hendricks failed to end things on a high and was dismissed cheaply in the final match.

3. JP Duminy

South African skipper JP Duminy finished the 3-match series as the leading run scorer for his side. In the three matches that he played, he aggregated 122 runs at an average of 61. He scored a brilliant fifty in a winning cause in Centurion. He did not shy away from playing the second fiddle to Heinrich Klaasen in the match. In the final T20I, he scored another gutsy fifty to keep his side in the hunt.