IND vs SA, T20Is: Players that could have maximum influence
India and South Africa are set to lock horns for the upcoming three-match T20I series, starting September 15 onwards. Both teams will be wanting to come out on top with a view on the ICC World T20 in 2020. It's a crucial series for both outfits in order to test the players. Here we look at the players who could have maximum influence.
The three T20Is will be played in Dharamsala (September 15), Mohali (September 18) and Bengaluru (September 22) respectively. All three matches will start at 7:00 PM respectively. The matches will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network.
This series is another opportunity for someone like Rishabh Pant to show his credentials. The youngster hasn't quite lived up to expectations in limited-overs cricket in general. He amassed scores of 0, 4 and 65* against West Indies last month in the T20Is. Pant needs to be more thoughtful and make things count while being aggressive at the same time.
India have opted for an inexperienced pace attack. However, the likes of Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar and Navdeep Saini did well against West Indies. Khaleel, in particular, could be a strong option. He has bowled well of late and the experience gained from IPL 12 will do him a world of good. The left-arm pacer is a genuine wicket-taker and can cause issues.
For SA, skipper Quinton de Kock will be wanting to lead from the front. The left-handed opener is experienced in this format and knows the conditions well. It is crucial for De Kock to give his side a perfect platform to build upon. Also as a skipper, De Kock will be tested and the runs could help his confidence.
Kagiso Rabada had an excellent IPL 12 campaign and it's all about bringing the experience into play here. The speedster has an important job in his hands to lead this Proteas attack. He is the best bet to have a crack against an experienced Indian top order. Fast bowler Anrich Nortje will want to start afresh after the injury set-back earlier this year.
