India and South Africa face off again after T20 World Cup final thriller

NEW DELHI: South Africa begin a four-match T20I series against India at Kingsmead, Durban on Friday, following their defeat in the T20 World Cup final by the visitors over four months ago.

The teams participating in the series have undergone substantial alterations compared to those that competed in Barbados, where India secured victory with a seven-run margin.

The South African side will be without key performers from their World Cup campaign, including pace bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, and wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock.

India's squad features only four players from their World Cup-winning team, as the majority prepare for a Test series in Australia. The remaining players are captain Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh.

South African coach Rob Walter has acknowledged the challenges of assembling a team amidst overlapping and busy cricket schedules.

"The worlds of short-form cricket, leagues and Test matches are starting to encroach on each other. We're seeing that with other sides around the world having to field two different squads.

"We want to be in the same position and know that we're strong enough to win on both fronts.

"Cricket is in a tenuous position and it's going to take some seriously strong management to make sure that we look after our players first and foremost so that when they do play for South Africa, they're there to deliver their best performances."

Walter now has access to sought-after franchise players including David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj, an advantage unavailable during South Africa's previous T20 international defeat against Ireland in Abu Dhabi in September.

The quartet of matches had initially been scheduled during India's South African tour in 2021/22, but COVID-19 restrictions necessitated their postponement.

The series represents a significant financial opportunity for Cricket South Africa, primarily due to the substantial revenue from Indian television broadcasts.

Additionally, it presents an opportunity for India's emerging talents, including newcomers Ramandeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak and Yash Dayal, to demonstrate their abilities before the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction scheduled in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24-25.

Squads:South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Patrick Kruger, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Mihlali Mpongwana, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Andile Simelane, Lutho Sipamla (third and fourth matches only) and Tristan Stubbs.India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), 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.
Schedule:November 8, DurbanNovember 10, GqeberhaNovember 13, CenturionNovember 15, Johannesburg