Following the completion of the IPL 2022, cricket fans’ focus immediately switches to the next five-match T20I India vs South Africa T20I Series, which begins on Thursday.
India would be eager to finalise their team and give newcomers an opportunity to exhibit their skillsets as the path to the Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia continues in October-November this year. In terms of the hosts, here are some things to keep a watch on:
India vs South Africa T20I Series : 3 Areas important for India
Fresh pace attack in India vs South Africa T20I Series
India have brought in tearaway right-arm quick Umran Malik and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh to fill the void caused by the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami for this series. Malik and Singh were among the multitude of uncapped Indian pacers that made an impression in IPL 2022, earning their first T20I squad call-ups.
What the young speed combo brings to the table is an element of intrigue. Malik, 22, possesses blistering pace, regularly hitting speeds of over 150 kilometres per hour. He was employed as a middle-overs enforcer by Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2022, taking up 19 wickets in that period, which the Indian squad will have noted.
Singh, 23, on the other hand, isn’t as swift as Malik. However, Singh, a left-arm pacer, has excellent death-bowling skills, as evidenced by his 7.58 death-overs economy rate in IPL 2022, which is second best in the competition behind Bumrah’s 7.38.
Singh and Bumrah also tied for the most yorkers bowled in the tournament with 38. India has a fast bowler for practically every eventuality ahead of the series against South Africa, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, and Harshal Patel in the team. India would be looking forward to the young bowlers to deliver superbly in the India vs South Africa T20I Series.
Finisher’s Spot and Dinesh Karthik in India vs South Africa T20I Series
Dinesh Karthik, the senior wicketkeeper-batsman who was called up to India’s T20I team, termed his return to the national side in the shortest version of the game as a “very special comeback.” As a specialised finisher for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2022, Karthik truly captured the attention of fans and national selectors, scoring 242 runs with a strike rate of 220 in the final overs phase.
But where does he slot into the starting XI? Venkatesh Iyer (six times), Ravindra Jadeja (four times), and Rishabh Pant (four times each) have been utilised the most in T20I finishing responsibilities after India’s exit from the Men’s T20 World Cup in the UAE last year.
The national think-tank has a joyful headache regarding who would be their ideal finishers in the run-up to the T20 World Cup, with Hardik Pandya returning to India’s scheme of things after an all-round performance and captaining Gujarat Titans to the IPL 2022 triumph. If Karthik gets a fair run against South Africa, it will be a great opportunity for him to demonstrate his finishing skills to the team management and put himself ahead of the pack in the finishers’ race. The finisher’s role would be very crucial on the fast tracks of South Africa during the India vs South Africa T20I Series.
Southpaw Power required in India vs South Africa T20I Series
Last year’s T20 World Cup saw India field an top four not in the best nick in Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Suryakumar Yadav, making it easy for Shaheen Shah Afridi to destroy them. India reshuffled their top-order for their next must-win game against New Zealand, putting Ishan Kishan in to open alongside Rahul, a move that backfired dramatically as the batting never got going against a tight Blackcaps bowling attack.
Despite India’s efforts to get Kishan to open the batting against the West Indies and Sri Lanka, the left-IPL hander’s 2022 results (418 runs at an average of 32.15) were far from his flowing self as he suffered from a mid-tournament slump. Venkatesh Iyer suffered from second-season syndrome, batting only 182 times for a 16.55 average. Rishabh Pant’s 340 runs at an average of 30.91 did not include anything higher than a fifty.
In a batting order that includes KL Rahul, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, and Deepak Hooda, India will be hoping that the swashbuckling southpaws rediscover their IPL 2022 stride and produce equally good against South Africa in the India vs South Africa T20I Series.