Captains’ form will be key in clashes between Proteas and India
South Africa versus India: a fixture with all sorts of exotic storylines ever since the Proteas’ reintroduction to international cricket at a heaving Eden Gardens back in 1991.
The relationship between these two nations has only grown stronger over the years, with South Africa boasting the biggest number of foreign players participating in last year’s Indian Premier League.
Equally, the major investment of six IPL franchises into South Africa’s own SA20 league has solidified the bond.
And then there was the unforgettable ICC T20 World Cup final in Barbados earlier this year, the latest instalment of epic clashes between these two nations.
“It’s always been challenging playing against South Africa, whether it’s the T20 World Cup or in bilateral series,” India captain Suryakumar Yadav told the media in Durban on Thursday ahead of the first encounter at Kingsmead on Friday (5pm start).
“We enjoyed playing them in the T20 World Cup, and last time we had a good tour here.”
Proteas T20I captain Aiden Markram concurred.
“It is always an exciting series when you play against India,” the right-hander said.
There is certainly a mutual respect for the opposition in both camps. Possibly even more so from a South African perspective, as they have never beaten India on home soil in a T20I series consisting of more than one match.
Last year’s encounter was the closest duel, when Yadav spoiled the Proteas’ ambitions by levelling up the three-match series with an unforgettable century at the Wanderers.
Yadav, the world’s No.2-ranked T20 batter, certainly is a joy to watch. The Indian skipper is reminiscent of Proteas legend AB de Villiers, with his ability to access unique parts of the ground due to his ‘360-degree’ style.
Equally, he exhibits it without any element of fear.
He feels that this is due to having played under India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma both nationally and at their IPL franchise, Mumbai Indians, where Yadav was always given the freedom to express himself.
Now steering the Indian ship himself, the 34-year-old is keen to adopt a similar leadership style with this group of emerging players.
“As a leader, I have learnt a lot from Rohit, played a lot with him in franchise cricket, and I’ve recently seen him leading in big tournaments. I know how he treats the players. I’ve taken that route because he’s been very successful,” Yadav said.
“They want to express themselves when they get out onto the field. That freedom is very important. Off the field, I try to spend time with them and I listen to them very carefully.
“As a leader, my batting style is completely different. I can’t be that aggressive on the field.
“In this format, if you keep playing, you keep learning. It is so fast, the time you blink, the game is over. Freedom and clarity is very important.”
There’s little doubt that the form of both captains will be integral to their team’s chances across the four-match series.
The spotlight will certainly be on Markram, with the Proteas T20I skipper not having scored a half-century in this format since facing the self-same India two World Cups ago in Perth back in 2022.
Markram admits it’s been “frustrating” to endure, especially as he has never looked out of touch throughout this period.
He has still been striking the ball sweetly, although this has often led to his undoing.
“Obviously, you acknowledge that you want to make big scores and contribute to the team. But it’s pretty much about how I am feeling, the mental state that I find myself in,” the 30-year-old said.
“If I feel like I am in a good space, then I trust that a good score is around the corner.
“Yes, it can be frustrating getting out after getting off to a good start.
“But you don’t want to go into your shell: you want to keep being attacking, taking the game on through that way. Not just for myself, but for the team as well.
“Fortunately, I’m still feeling in a good space mentally, and hoping I can contribute big time to the team in this series.”
Squads For Kingsmead
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Reeza Hendricks, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Donovan Ferreira, Patrick Kruger, Marco Jansen, Andile Simelane, Mihlali Mpongwana, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Nqaba Peter, Ottneil Baartman.
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Abhishek Sharma, Ramandeep Singh, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarty, Yash Dayal, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan.