India have wrapped up their home Test season, and before they face Australia in the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy, they head to South Africa for a four-match T20I series. The first match will be held in Durban, followed by games in Gqeberha, Centurion, and Johannesburg. This will also be the last T20I series for Indian players to showcase their mettle and skills before the TATA IPL 2025 Mega Auction, so they will aim to perform at their best ahead of the big day. 

India’s new full-time T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav will be leading a squad which notably doesn’t include any players who will participate in the Border-Gavaskar series, allowing fresh faces the chance to step up and gain experience on an international stage.

Sanju Samson, who scored a brilliant century in the last T20I India played, will most likely open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma. Abhishek, who had a quiet series against Bangladesh, will be eager to prove himself once again. He was India’s top scorer in the Emerging Asia Cup last month, and this series provides him with a valuable opportunity to strengthen his claim for a consistent opening role.

Samson and Jitesh Sharma are the two designated wicketkeepers in the squad, providing options and depth behind the stumps. Tilak Varma makes his return to the T20 setup, while the hard-hitting duo of Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya add power to the middle order. Axar Patel will be our primary spin-bowling all-rounder, while Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakaravarthy provide varied options for the spin attack.

The squad also includes the pace-bowling all-rounder Ramandeep Singh, who has been in excellent form of late. He boasted an exceptional strike rate of 201.61 in the IPL 2024, and is also handy with the ball as a medium-pacer, making him a valuable asset in T20 cricket. He also had a productive tournament in the Emerging Asia Cup recently. 

The pace attack is led by Arshdeep Singh, who has had a stellar year with 28 wickets in 14 T20Is, and he’s joined by Avesh Khan, Vijaykumar Vyshak and Yash Dayal, who are also part of the squad.

Looking at the head-to-head record between the teams, India and South Africa have faced each other 27 times in T20Is, with India winning 15 of those encounters. Their last series in South Africa ended 1-1 after a rain-affected game, with Suryakumar Yadav scoring his fourth T20I century. With one more century, he could tie with Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell for the most centuries in T20Is, making this series a chance for him to reach another milestone.

The last clash between these two teams was one of the most memorable T20 matches ever - the 2024 T20 World Cup final. The thrilling match saw India pull off an unbelievable comeback; with South Africa needing only 30 runs off the last 30 balls, a superb spell of death bowling from Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Arshdeep Singh, coupled with Suryakumar Yadav’s excellent final-over catch, saw India clinch a famous victory.

With both teams fielding young, energetic squads, this series promises to be another exciting chapter in their rivalry. Fans can look forward to high-paced action and fresh talent as India and South Africa meet once again in T20 cricket.