Team India celebrated with the trophy after their victory in the ICC men's Twenty20 World Cup 2024 final cricket match against South Africa earlier this year. — AFP file

South Africa is set to begin a four-match Twenty20 international series against India at Kingsmead on Friday, just over four months after the visitors triumphed in the T20 World Cup final. Both teams have undergone significant changes since the Barbados showdown, where India clinched the trophy with a seven-run win.

South Africa will be without their three top bowlers from the World Cup campaign - fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, and left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, as well as batsman-wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock. With most of India's key players preparing for a Test series in Australia, only four members from the World Cup-winning squad remain - captain Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Panday, Axar Patel, and Arshdeep Singh.

South African coach Rob Walter recognizes the challenges of assembling a team amid congested and often conflicting schedules. "The realms of short-form cricket, leagues, and Test matches are increasingly overlapping. We're witnessing this with other teams around the world having to field two distinct squads." He aims for South Africa to be strong enough to win in both formats.

Cricket faces a precarious situation, requiring robust management to prioritize player welfare. Walter can rely on sought-after franchise stars like David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen, and Keshav Maharaj, unlike their recent T20 loss to Ireland in Abu Dhabi in September.

The four matches were initially scheduled for India's 2021/22 tour of South Africa but were postponed due to Covid restrictions. The tour will be a financial boon for Cricket South Africa, thanks to Indian television revenues. It also offers fringe Indian players, such as uncapped Ramandeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, and Yash Dayal, an opportunity to shine before the Indian Premier League player auction 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), 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.

Fixtures:

November 8, Durban
November 10, Gqeberha
November 13, Centurion
November 15, Johannesburg

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