India's predicted playing XI for the 1st T20I vs South Africa | November 8, 2024
India and South Africa will face off in the first T20I of the four-match series in Durban on Friday, November 8. Shorthanded due to assignments in other parts of the world, the visitors have named a fairly new-look squad.
Regulars like captain Suryakumar Yadav, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, and fast bowler Arshdeep Singh are in the mix. But at the same time, there is the possibility of more than one cap being handed out as the series progresses.
India’s squad for 4 T20Is against South Africa: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.
On that note, here is India's predicted playing XI for the first T20I against South Africa.
Openers: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk)
India have named only two openers in the squad. Sanju Samson was superb against Bangladesh and will be expected to fire again. Abhishek Sharma, meanwhile, has been slightly off-color lately and will want to make his case for a spot in the first-choice side.
Middle order: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh
Captain Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounder Hardik Pandya will man the middle order, with Rinku Singh taking up finishing duties again. Axar Patel is back in the mix after missing out on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and will be one of India's most important players.
Tilak Varma, who led the A side in the Emerging Asia Cup, could slot in at No. 4 ahead of Jitesh Sharma. There's also a good chance that India will dole out a debut to Ramandeep Singh, who was hugely impressive in Oman. The young all-rounder will give the team batting depth and potentially an additional pace option.
Lower order: Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy
India could start the series with just two specialist fast bowlers, along with Hardik and Ramandeep. If that is the case, the choices are obvious. Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan, both of whom have been released by their respective Indian Premier League franchises ahead of the 2025 auction, will be keen on showing their worth.
Yash Dayal and Vijaykumar Vyshak might have to wait just a bit longer for their debuts.
In the spin department, India will need to choose between Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakaravarthy. While they can't go wrong with either pick, the latter played a more prominent role in the last T20I series and could get the nod.