IND vs SA 2024: 3 players who flopped and 2 who starred in the 1st India vs South Africa T20I ft. Sanju Samson & Abhishek Sharma
India got their four-match T20I series against South Africa off to a winning start as they triumphed by 61 runs in the opening game in Durban on Friday, November 8. The Men in Blue were ahead of the hosts for most of the encounter.
After winning the toss, Aiden Markram decided to bowl first. India posted an impressive 202/8 despite a middling performance in the last few overs, following which the spinners came to the party in the second phase of the contest. Suryakumar Yadav and company eventually got over the line comfortably.
On that note, here are three players who flopped and two who starred in the first T20I between India and South Africa.
#5 Star - Varun Chakaravarthy
Varun Chakaravarthy has been excellent since making his T20I comeback and turned in another promising display in the clash against South Africa on Friday. The spinner picked up three wickets, including the massive ones of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, to break the back of the hosts' batting lineup.
Chakaravarthy hit the right lengths throughout his spell and got the ball to dip and bounce considerably. He also closed out the powerplay and prised out the dangerous Ryan Rickelton. He's turning out to be a real asset for the Men in Blue.
#4 Flop - Rinku Singh
Rinku Singh had enough time to make an impression in the first T20I, but his somewhat familiar troubles against the short ball came back to haunt him. The southpaw struck one boundary before a well-directed bumper from Gerald Coetzee saw him glove one to the keeper.
Oppositions are starting to target Rinku with hard lengths, and he needs to find a way to counter that, especially on quicker, bouncier tracks.
#3 Star - Ravi Bishnoi
Playing alongside Varun Chakaravarthy for the second game running, Ravi Bishnoi helped himself to a three-fer of his own. The leg-spinner hit the right areas most of the time, barring a couple of full ones, and got the ball to turn in both directions.
Bishnoi ran through South Africa's lower-middle order to ensure they didn't have any hopes of staging a fightback. If India can continue to play the two spinners in tandem, exciting times are ahead.
#2 Flop - Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma hasn't been at his best since the conclusion of the 2024 Indian Premier League, with his weaknesses against pace being exposed on multiple occasions. This time, it wasn't a bouncer that troubled him, but a full one from Coetzee.
Abhishek's limited range against pace and locked arms have caused major problems for him lately, and things won't get any easier as the series progresses. The opener will need to find a way to work through his issues and make explosive contributions at the top of the order.
#1 Star - Sanju Samson
![Samson notched up another T20I ton [Image: BCCI on X]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/11/19da0-17310939918842-1920.jpg?w=500)
Sanju Samson carried on from where he left off against Bangladesh as he hammered his second successive T20I century to pulverize the South African bowlers. The opening batter was in his element against both pace and spin, clearing the boundary a whopping 10 times.
With virtually no holes in his game once he gets going, Samson is one of India's most dangerous T20 batters. Thankfully for the team, he finally seems to be translating his obvious talents into sustained results. A stable role at the top is certainly helping the Kerala man.