India will travel to South Africa for a four-match Twenty20 International series less than a week after suffering a shocking 3-0 Test-series sweep at the hands of New Zealand. They won’t have any baggage because, with the exception of Axar Patel, none of the 15-member South African team’s players were involved in the New Zealand series. It also means that when the Indian team is at its best, there are some new players in the squad as well as some who are vying for a permanent spot.
These are five things to anticipate.
Samson at the top
Sanju Samson has started the batting eight times in his 33 T20I appearances for India. His stats had been low until last month’s last Twenty20 International against Bangladesh, when he hit a 47-ball 111 to create a new record, with the exception of a 77 against Ireland in 2022. Samson will probably start the batting in South Africa as well, so he will want to take advantage of the chance.
In India’s top order, a position has become available when Rohit Sharma retired from Twenty20 Internationals. There are a few more players in the running, but Samson might give the others anxiety if he can follow up his century in the most recent Twenty20 International match against Bangladesh with a run of respectable scores in South Africa.
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Abhishek Sharma’s second opportunity
Abhishek Sharma, who elevated powerplay hitting to a new level in the IPL, is another candidate for the first spot. He had previously won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2023–24, finishing as the tournament’s second-highest run scorer as Punjab won the trophy. Although Abhishek was included in the India squad for the July series against Zimbabwe, he hasn’t yet been able to duplicate the success at home on the international front. In just his second T20I, he reached 100 off 36 balls, but in his other seven innings, he hasn’t even reached 20.
With a few reliable innings, he can establish himself in a full-strength India T20I team. He will probably open the batting with Samson. He also has the advantage of left-arm spin.
New pace battery
In South Africa, Arshdeep Singh will captain a somewhat inexperienced fast-bowling attack that includes two uncapped players, Vijaykumar Vyshak and Yash Dayal, as well as Avesh Khan, who will return to the team after a period of absence.
Vyshak is a tall, hit-the-deck bowler who can trick batters with a well-hidden slower ball and quicken the tempo. Despite his dismal T20 performance over the past year, he has been reliable for both Karnataka and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
However, Dayal will be feeling quite proud because he was one of the three players that RCB kept before the IPL 2025 auction. If he gets a game, his ability to move the ball and change speed might be useful in South Africa.
Ramandeep Singh
Gun fielding, good medium-pace bowling, and death-overs smashing. Ramandeep Singh’s participation stems from his consistency in the T20 format over the past year or so. He scored at 222.80 during Punjab’s 2023–24 Mushtaq–Ali-winning run, and at 201.61 for the Kolkata Knight Riders, who also won the title, in the 2024 Indian Premier League. As a result, the franchise decided to keep him before the big auction. Ramandeep is also an excellent outfielder and a more-than-handy medium-pacer.