England is all set to take on the South Africa in Match 20 of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 on Saturday, October 21 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Both the teams have a star-studded squad that can change the course of the game with their abilities. South Africa is the favourite to win this encounter against England.
England and South Africa have a fierce rivalry in the format. Both teams have played 69 ODI matches, with England winning 30 games and South Africa winning 33 games so far in the head to head encounters. In this article, we will take a look at the key player battles to watch out for in the match 20 of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 between England and South Africa.
Also Read: ICC ODI World Cup 2023: England vs South Africa Today Match Possible Playing 11
Here are three player battles to watch out for during ENG vs SA match:
1) Quinton de Kock vs Adil Rashid
Quinton de Kock, coming off a century against Australia, aims to continue his brilliant batting form against England. However, he faces the challenge of Adil Rashid. In their ODI encounters, de Kock has scored 122 runs off 112 deliveries from Rashid but has also fallen to him twice in six matches.
2) Dawid Malan vs Marco Jansen
Leading England’s run-scorers in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, Dawid Malan, with an impressive 186 runs, including a century, looks to maintain his form. His opponent is the South African pacer, Marco Jansen, who has taken six wickets in the tournament at an average of 28.83 and an economy rate of 6.92. A clash of in-form players is on the horizon.
3) Jos Buttler vs Kagiso Rabada
Jos Buttler has encountered difficulties facing Kagiso Rabada in One-Day Internationals, managing just 23 runs in 32 deliveries over eight encounters, with a strike rate of 71.9. Rabada has dismissed Buttler three times. The battle between these two promises to be an intriguing contest.