India vs South Africa, 2nd T20I: Toss result and playing 11s for today’s match, umpires list, and pitch report
Team India's tour of South Africa started on a poor note after rain washed out the T20I series opener in Durban without a single delivery being bowled. The teams now head to the second contest in Gqeberha in a bid to get some action in the limited game time they have before the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Both sides only have five matches in hand before the tournament in the Caribbean and the USA, scheduled for June. India have a home series lined up against Afghanistan in January, and after that, the sole avenue for T20 cricket is the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the March-May window.
Team India also have several tough selection battles to consider in hand with the limited opportunities they have. The return of senior figures like Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav makes things trickier, especially after the fringe players performed at their best in the T20I series against Australia.
The upcoming contest, on the other hand, marks the Proteas' return to international cricket following their gut-wrenching defeat to Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final.
Senior figures like Temba Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada have been rested while Lungi Ngidi has been ruled out due to injury.
Today's IND vs SA toss result
South Africa won the toss, and skipper Aiden Markram chose to bowl first, emphasizing the overcast conditions and the moisture on the surface.
"We are going to bowl first, been under the covers for most of the day, so I would assume it would move around a bit. Each game becomes important for us to fine tune things before the 2024 T20 WC, hopefully we can start well today. From my point of view it's about understanding if someone needs a rest. No debuts today," he explained.
Suryakumar Yadav, on the other hand, confessed that he was unsure about what to do if he had won the toss.
"Very happy to be here and happy to know there's some cricket around. We were confused what to do, but now we are very happy to bat first. It's an opportunity for everyone playing this game. World Cup is still 5-6 months away. Just enjoy yourself is the message to the team," he said.
The weather is expected to clear as the evening progresses, meaning that there is little chance that rain will interrupt the proceedings.
IND vs SA - Today's match playing XIs
Team India playing XI: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar.
South Africa playing XI: Matthew Breetzke, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen(wk), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Gerald Coetzee, Lizaad Williams, Tabraiz Shamsi.
Today's IND vs SA pitch report
The pitch is generally slow, with the experts on air claiming that even a meager total like 140 can feel like 200 at times. As a result, batting first will not be the worst option. Captains had a tricky time at the toss, as the overcast conditions as well as the pitch being under the covers, prompted the choice to bowl first.
IND vs SA - Today's match umpires
Umpires: Allahudien Paleker, Lubabalo Gcuma
Third Umpire: Stephen Harris
Match Referee: Chris Broad
Who will win the second T20I between India and South Africa? Let us know what you think.