Misfiring Indian bowlers in focus as India seek series-levelling win over SA in third T20I
Rajasthan Royals are currently not in the top four of the IPL points table but their world No.1 T20 spinner Tabraiz Shamsi believes it won't matter when the COVID-hit league resumes on Sunday as it would be a fresh start for all the teams.
Kerala's Sanju Samson, 27, was part of the ODI series against Zimbabwe which India won 3-0. He has represented India in seven ODIs and 16 T20Is so far.
India will be looking to round off their T20 World Cup preparation with a marked improvement in their death bowling besides providing crucial game time to its untested players in the three-match series against South Africa.
Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday roped in South Africa's left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi for the remainder of IPL scheduled to be held in the UAE from September 19.
However, South Africa have lot of openers stacked on top (Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen and Reeza Hendricks) with a light middle order which is still a huge concern.
Having lost the toss in all four matches of the ongoing T20I series against South Africa, India's stand-in captain Rishabh Pant said he will spin the coin with his right hand in the series-deciding game in Bengaluru on Sunday.
Uncapped spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi were named in South Africa's squad for next month's three-match test series in Australia on Monday as the Proteas seek to exploit a perceived weaknesses in their hosts' batting. Faf du Plessis will again captain the team in the absence of injured AB de Villiers after leading the side in the two-test series against New Zealand last month, which they won 1-0. "Basically, we are following a horses for courses policy as we feel that spinners who turn the ball away from the right-hander are going to be particularly useful under Australian conditions and against the test batsmen we are likely to face," selector Linda Zondi said in a statement.
Young pace sensation Lungi Ngidi has been rewarded for his recent performances with a place in South Africa's squad for the six-match ODI series against India starting in Durban on February 1.
IMAGES from the first ODI between South Africa and India played at The Wanderers, in Johannesburg, on Sunday.
India will need another near perfect game to take the five-match series into the decider.
England have been largely rusty and inconsistent despite having a dangerous squad on paper.
Suryakumar (838) is still second ahead of the blockbuster clash
The South Africa series in that context is the last big international T20 series that India play followed by one against Afghanistan in mid-January.
South Africa are on a four-match winning streak as they face Rohit Sharma's unbeaten side in a top-of-the-table clash at the Eden Gardens
Temba Bavuma has recovered from injury and will take charge
Liam Livingstone and Evin Lewis's explosive batting will meet its match in Chris Gayle's power and KL Rahul's finesse when Rajasthan Royals lock horns with Punjab Kings to improve upon their mid-table position in the Indian Premier League in Dubai on Tuesday.
The Proteas have named five new players in the squad for the series starting next month.
The Proteas squad members assembled at the Feroz Shah Kotla for their optional practice session after clearing their RT PCR tests
Indian team will certainly feel a sense of deja vu when it takes on a red-hot South Africa on Sunday in what will be a battle of equals
South Africa have recalled fast bowler Anrich Nortje and all-rounder Wayne Parnell, and handed a first Twenty20 International call-up to batsman Tristan Stubbs, in a full-strength squad for the five-match tour of India starting on June 9.
Pakistan's Director of Cricket Mickey Arthur says the main reason for the team's struggles in the ongoing World Cup is the inability to put together the "perfect game".
Pakistan needs to win all its matches and expect Australia to falter in at least two of their remaining four games.
David Miller's late cameo saw South Africa stage a late comeback to outclass Sri Lanka by four wickets in the Super 12 match at the T20 World Cup at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
India lead Group 2 with two wins in as many games while South Africa are second with three points
Smarting from opening game losses, a good batting display will be high on the agenda for South Africa and defending champions West Indies when the two teams lock horns in a Super 12 match of the T20 World Cup in Dubai on Tuesday.
South Africa have been fined 20 per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against India in the second ODI in Paarl, the ICC said on Saturday.
Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje are expected to spit fire on a track that will offer steep bounce as India's top-order gears up for its toughest test in adverse conditions against a top-notch South African side in the T20 World Cup on Sunday.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing for the World Cup opener against Australia?
The Indian cricket team will assemble in New Delhi on June 5 ahead of the five-match T20I series against South Africa.
Images from the rain-curtailed 1st ODI between India and South Africa in Lucknow on Thursday.
Suryakumar Yadav, who scored a 44-ball 76 in the third T20 International against the West Indies on Tuesday, moved within two rating points of top-ranked Pakistan captain Babar Azam.
Four franchises were involved in a bidding war with MI Cape Town making the initial move followed by Paarl Royals. However, towards the end it was Johannesburg Super Kings and Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who fought tooth and nail before the latter made a winning bid of R 9.2 million.
He joins injured fast bowler Kagiso Rabada on the sidelines.
Fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and spinner Tabraiz Shamsi picked up four wickets each to set up South Africa's five-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in the first one-day international at Dambulla on Sunday.
IMAGES from the T20 World Cup Super 12 match between South Africa and England, played in Sharjah on Saturday.
Chasing targets has been their Achilles heel throughout the tournament. The same batters who've plundered the bowling and scored daddy hundreds batting first, have resembled pale shadows of themselves chasing targets.
Chahal picked up three wickets while conceding 20 runs in his quota of four overs as South Africa faltered in their chase for the first time in the series after picking up victories in Delhi and Cuttack.
Shreyas Iyer played a crucial knock of 43 from 32 balls to lift Delhi Capitals to a 33-run victory against Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
A clinical India outplayed South Africa with both bat and ball to register a comprehensive 48-run victory in the third T20I in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday and keep themselves alive in the five-match series.
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