Countering Bumrah before spinners come into play will be key for SA: Graeme Smith
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title. The 10th edition of the 20-overs global showpiece event will run from February 7 to March 8.
This is the most open T20 World Cup in history. The traditional powers are compromised. The new powers have gained strength, observes Faisal Shariff.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title in familiar home conditions next month.
Accumulating 500 wickets in 218 international appearances, Rabada maintains an average of 24.79
The second and final Test starts in Guwahati from Saturday with India trailing 0-1 after the defeat on a challenging Eden Gardens pitch in Kolkata.
South African pacer Kagiso Rabada and Test captain Temba Bavuma, who are not part of the Proteas white-ball cricket mix to gear up for the Test series against India, won't feature in domestic cricket.
New Zealand all-rounder Kyle Jamieson says he can only marvel at the Indian superstar's craft as he operates at a "different level", one where great batters have their way even if bowlers try to contain them.
Hard-hitting left-handed batter David Miller also returns to the T20 squad, as does Donovan Ferreira.
South Africa fought a rearguard action to turn the second Test against Pakistan on its head and take the upper hand after an enthralling third day's play on Wednesday.
Star batter Virat Kohli was covering the swing well although he played and missed often until one ball moved away late to send him back to the dressing room, a pleased as punch Kagiso Rabada said after getting his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
The Proteas have included three frontline spinners in the squad with Keshav Maharaj leading the attack, while also consisting of Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy, who was the player of the series against Pakistan.
India will look to reprise their home template of big first-innings totals and sustained spin in the short two-Test series against South Africa beginning in Kolkata on Friday.
IMAGES from the first Test played between South Africa and India in Centurion on Tuesday
Graeme Smith emphasised the importance of getting off to a strong start in the upcoming Test series against India
Kagiso Rabada is already in the pantheon of great South African fast bowlers, but if the Proteas play only a limited number of Tests a year, he can never surpass Dale Steyn's record of 439 wickets, reckoned Makhaya Ntini on Tuesday.
Marco Jansen picked 12 wickets in the two Tests at an average of 10.08 including a six-wicket haul in the first innings of the Guwahati Test, while Jasprit Bumrah managed eight wickets in the series.
S Africa select young guns Brevis, Pretorius for Australia tour
South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada believes Proteas have all the strength to shake the 'chokers' tag and get their hands on the coveted ICC Men's Cricket World Cup trophy for the first time.
South Africa will aim for their first Test victory in India in more than 15 years.
'You have a lot of options if you want to see. You can remove Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill and you can open with Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad...'
South Africa will be without striker-bowler Kagiso Rabada for Tuesday's opening One Day International against England at Headingley, captain Temba Bavuma revealed ahead of the clash.
Kagiso Rabada claimed the key wickets of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav at crucial junctures, to turn the game in Punjab Kings's favour.
Drugs ban gives Rabada extra motivation for WTC final, says the Proteas captain
With Bumrah leading the charge, India prised out five wickets in the second session to snuff out South Africa's hopes of reaching the 200 mark.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood scored 87 as the hosts reached 259 for 5 at the close of play on Day 1 of the second Test against a wasteful South Africa, who were poor in the field but kept in the contest by fine bowling in Rawalpindi on Monday.
India will look to address several lingering selection puzzles when they take on South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday in the first ODI of the three-match series, where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to the set-up for a short audition that could well shape their 2027 World Cup fate.
Making a comeback to international cricket after a seven-month gap, Virat Kohli has perished for ducks in the first two ODIs against Australia.
With the scars of last year's home series whitewash against New Zealand still raw, preparing rank turners may invite risk.
Conversations might have been different if Pant got his execution right: Jansen
South Africa sharpen spin game in attacking net session ahead of Eden Test
India captain Shubman Gill, head coach Gautam Gambhir along with Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel arrived in Kolkata late on Sunday ahead of the upcoming two-Test series against South Africa.
'Of course, when you face a quality bowling attack, they can more often than not get the ball in the danger area and it does too much for you. And unfortunately, that's been the case today.'
IMAGES from Day 1 of the WTC Final between Australia and South Africa at Lord's on Wednesday
The Pakistan Cricket Board in a bid to attract more crowds to the Test match have for the first time announced free entry for several enclosures.
Punjab Kings fast bowler Kagiso Rabada etched his name in the IPL record books as he became the fastest to pick 100 wickets in the T20 league in terms of matches played.
Imam was in a hurry to reach his ton and, attacking the bowling, got an inside edge to Senuran Muthusamy's left-arm spin and was snagged at short leg by Tony de Zorzi's sharp catch.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction saw some foreign names earning big bucks, headlined by Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green
India A skipper Rishabh Pant will look to build on the gains from the first match, while the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav will aim for crucial red-ball game time in the second four-day match against a Temba Bavuma-led South Africa A in Bengaluru from Thursday.
Commanding wins in their two opening games have elevated South Africa as favourites in the World Cup but pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada insisted there is still a long way to go and the team is focused on taking one match at a time.
