T20 World Cup, India's Predicted XI vs South Africa: Will India Tinker With Winning Combination?
There have been calls for Rishabh Pant to be included in the side in place of out-of-form KL Rahul, but on the eve of the match, batting coach Vikram Rathour made it clear that Rahul will be persisted with.
After winning their first two matches of the ongoing T20 World Cup, Team India will look to maintain momentum and keep marching ahead. The Rohit Sharma-led side will come up against South Africa in Super 12 Group 2 match on Sunday and the game will be played at Optus Stadium, Perth. It would be interesting to see whether Team India make any changes to their playing XI or not. There have been calls for Rishabh Pant to be included in the side in place of out-of-form KL Rahul, but on the eve of the match, batting coach Vikram Rathour made it clear that Rahul will be persisted with.
Here's what we think should be India's predicted XI for the match against South Africa:
KL Rahul: The right-handed batter has looked out of sorts in the games against Pakistan and Netherlands, registering scores of 4 and 9. He would hope to give a solid start at the top but he would have to come up against the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje.
Rohit Sharma: The Indian skipper played a knock of 52 against the Netherlands, and it was his knock that provided much-needed impetus to the Indian innings after losing KL Rahul early. Rohit would look to march ahead.
Virat Kohli: The former India captain has been in blistering touch in the ongoing tournament, registering scores of 82 and 62. He has held the innings together in both the games against Pakistan and Netherlands. He would hope to be on the top of his game against the likes of Rabada, Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi.
Suryakumar Yadav: India's Mr.360 showed off his range against the Netherlands, scoring a quickfire 51 off just 25 balls. The No.2 ranked T20I batter would hope that he is on the top of his game against the Proteas.
Hardik Pandya: After putting in a good all-round performance against Pakistan, taking 3 wickets and scoring 40 runs, Pandya did not have much to do in the game against Netherlands.
Dinesh Karthik: The 37-year-old batter is known to strike big in the death overs and the management would be hoping that Karthik manages to provide the late flourish to propel Team's cause.
Axar Patel: The left-arm spinner is an ideal replacement for injured Ravindra Jadeja. He managed to take crucial wickets against the Netherlands. However, coming up against a balanced Proteas lineup will be a different challenge.
Ravichandran Ashwin: The off-spinner took two wickets against the Netherlands, but it seems like, Ashwin is a little hesitant to give the ball some air and defensive mindset against the likes of David Miller, Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram can be costly.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Off late, Bhuvneshwar has not been at the top of his game, but in Australia, where the ball can swing upfront, he has shown that he can contain the run-flow and strike as well.
Mohammed Shami: The pacer has managed to contain the run-flow at one end, but he has not managed to strike regularly in the games against Pakistan and Netherlands, and he would hope for his fortunes to change.
Arshdeep Singh: Arshdeep has taken five wickets in the ongoing tournament so far, but he has also been going for runs. The management would hope that he manages to keep his economy rate in check.
India Cricket Team
South Africa Cricket Team
Virat Kohli
Rohit Sharma
KL Rahul