नवीनतम
India prepare for thrilling showdown against Proteas
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Having started his T20I captaincy stint with two series wins over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Suryakumar Yadav will aim to make it three in a row when the Men in Blue take on South Africa in the first of three games on Friday at the Kingsmead in Durban. It will also be a repeat of the T20 World Cup 2024 final where Rohit Sharma’s men defeated the Proteas by five runs.
With head coach Gautam Gambhir busy making plans for the Border Gavaskar Trophy, starting later this month, National Cricket Academy (NCA) chief VVS Laxman has been sent to look after the coaching duties in South Africa.
Meanwhile, pressure will be on South Africa. Post T20 World Cup, the Proteas suffered a 0-3 whitewash against West Indies while they drew 1-1 against Ireland, both in T20Is. In fact, South Africa gave a lot of youngsters opportunities against West Indies and Ireland.
On the other hand, India have also named a couple of new names in the squad against South Africa. Hard-hitting all-rounder Ramandeep Singh impressed with Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024 and Emerging Asia Cup while Vijaykumar Vyshak got rewarded for his show at Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the previous IPL season.
In a pre-match press conference, Markram noted the significance of playing in front of local fans and emphasized that the team is not treating the opening game as a rematch. 'Personnel has changed for both teams,' Markram stated, adding that despite the promotional narratives, the focus remains on providing an exciting series for fans.
The series kicks off on November 8 at Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban. Following that, matches will be held at St George's Park in Gqeberha, SuperSport Park in Centurion, and conclude at Wanderers Stadium. The series promises thrilling cricket action between two of the sport's prominent teams.
