India vs South Africa – 1st T20 International Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is India vs South Africa taking place? Thursday, June 9th, 2022 – 14:30 (UK)
Where is India vs South Africa taking place? Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
What is the expected weather for India vs South Africa? 35-39c with clear skies and light winds throughout
What channel is India vs South Africa on? The match will be televised in the UK live on Sky Sports
Where can I stream India vs South Africa? Subscribers of Sky Sports in the UK can stream this match live via the Sky Go app
LAST MEETING
South Africa beat India by nine wickets
THE TEAM NEWS
INDIA
- Following the conclusion of the IPL, India are back in T20i action as they begin their preparations for the T20 World Cup later in the year, but they will use this match and series as a whole to experiment with a number of key players missing through either rest or injury.
- Opening batter KL Rahul had been chosen to captain the side with Rohit Sharma rested however, an injury has forced both him and spin-bowler Kuldeep Yadav to pull out of the squad, so instead Rishabh Pant will act as skipper with all-rounder and IPL 2022 winning captain Hardik Pandya as his deputy.
- The likes of Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah join Rohit in being rested, whilst there is a recall for the experienced Dinesh Karthik following his excellent form as a ‘finisher’ with the bat in this year’s IPL.
SOUTH AFRICA
- South Africa have named their strongest possible squad ahead of this T20i series, knowing how big the challenge is ahead of them and will be encouraged by a full quota of first-choice pace bowlers being available for selection.
- The fast-bowling duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje are each likely to play, whilst Marco Jansen could also get the nod as he offers a left-arm option to the team with Tabraiz Shamsi a certain selection as the Proteas’ primary spin-bowler in T20i cricket.
- There is no place in the squad for South Africa’s Under-19 World Cup star Dewald Brevis, although 21-year-old Tristan Stubbs has been called up following his performances in the recent T20 Challenge in South Africa, where he finished as the second highest run-scorer.
THE PREDICTION
The hosts come into this match on the back of a 12-game winning streak in T20i cricket spanning all the way back to last October when New Zealand beat them in the last T20 World Cup, India’s most recent defeat in this format of the game. Although a full-strength South Africa will pose a serious challenge to a severely depleted India team, it would be foolish to discount the strength-in-depth within the Indian setup, not to mention the proven pedigree of those brought into the squad to cover for their missing players. The IPL has already shown the world that they are capable of performing at a high level on the international stage and it would be no surprise if they were to show that here. On home territory and against a South African team that may start this series slowly as they adapt to conditions in the subcontinent, the smart play is to back an India victory in the first T20i.
