&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "IND vs SA 1st T20I: Gill’s return highlights series opener in Cuttack | Match Preview")
India and South Africa are set for the five-match T20Is, starting Tuesday evening (Dec 9) in Cuttack. Following the cracking Test and ODI series, all attention shifts to the shortest format, with its World Cup scheduled in two months, as both teams look to finalise their best sides for the tournament. The two powerhouses in this format will have legends gracing their presence, with all eyes on the returning trio of Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. Here is the match preview of the first T20I between India and South Africa.
Match Preview –
The defending T20 champions and the last-time runners-up will go head-to-head in the five-match series beginning Saturday. While India has several match winners returning to the playing XI, the Proteas have also recalled their format specialists, including batting great David Miller and ace quick Anrich Nortje.
For the hosts, Shubman Gill’s return to the side highlights this series opener, with Pandya and Bumrah also boosting the team’s morale with their comebacks. Gill suffered a neck injury during the first Test in Kolkata and has been out since, missing all action. Upon receiving treatment and undergoing rehabilitation at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) lately, Gill regained full fitness and will now mark his return to the Indian Team.
Also read | IND vs SA, 1st T20I: Will Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill play? Skipper Suryakumar Yadav shares update
Since beating Australia in the T20I series recently, the Indian Team will aim to maintain the winning momentum against the mighty Proteas. Although they have selection issues surrounding a few players, the team management would like to give everyone a chance before locking in the best 15-16 for next year’s T20 World Cup.
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For the Proteas, the pair of Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs will keep their noses in front, and the return of George Linde also makes them frontrunners to take the lead in this series.
Check out the predicted playing XIs of both teams and see who misses out –
India - Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah
South Africa – Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (captain), Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, George Linde, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje
