India vs South Africa T20i series was drawn due to the rain washing out the 5th and last T20i of the series, which could have been the series decider. However, the 4 T20is that did take place gave us an idea of the functionality of both India and South Africa in T20i. Here we analyse a few players from the series who either justified their potential or had a disappointing outing.
Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik has come back to the international cricket with an aim, and he has done exceptionally well in the series to be considered for the upcoming T20i World Cup. In a must-win game in the 4th T20i, Karthik became the oldest Indian to score a half-century in T20i format. He scored 55 off 27 to help his team guide to the victory. His crucial knock has fuelled the debate that Karthik might be a better choice than Rishabh Pant in the upcoming T20i World Cup in Australia.
David Miller
David Miller was brilliant in the first couple of matches for South Africa. In the first T20i, he played a match-winning knock of 64 off 31, and in the second T20i, he remained unbeaten on 20 to help his team grasp the victory. Miller failed to register big scores in the 3rd and 4th T20i, but his contribution in the first two games makes him one of the finishers to watch out for in the upcoming T20i World Cup.
Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant was handed the captaincy of the Indian team in the absence of senior players, but the left-handed batter had a forgettable experience. He could never get going in the series and uncharacteristically scored below the strike rate of 100. Pant’s failure in the series has opened up the path for critics to severely criticise him. His overall performance was below par, and his captaincy was also questionable in the first two games. Most likely, Pant could be replaced by Dinesh Karthik as the finisher in the Indian playing XI at the World Cup.
Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya has come back strong after a hiatus. His hitting ability is still the same. He played a few crucial knocks for the Indian team in the T20i series. In the first match, he scored 31 off 12 and remained unbeaten on 31 in the third game. In the fourth game, he was brilliant again and scored 46 off 31. He also showed glimpses of his bowling throughout the series. Hardik Pandya is sure to be featured in the Indian T20i side at the World Cup.
Quinton De Kock
The left-handed opener disappointed the South African fans during this series. He did not play any knock of substance throughout the series. He played only the first and fourth matches in the series and scored a total of 36 runs. De Kock’s failure at the top could have been a huge worry for South Africa if the middle-order had not performed. The fourth match of the series is an example of what could have happened to South Africa if the middle-order did not come to the rescue.
Shreyas Iyer
One batter that everyone was looking out to watch was Shreyas Iyer. He had a great series against Sri Lanka, where he scored three consecutive half-centuries. However, the glaring weakness in his batting against the quality pace was revealed in the India vs South Africa T20i series. Iyer had a horrible strike rate that did more harm than good to the Indian team. His strike rate hovered around 100 despite him playing more than 20 balls on two occasions. Surely, Iyer is not yet at the level to replace Virat Kohli at number three in T20is.
Avesh Khan
Avesh Khan was preferred over Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh in all four T20is of the series. Avesh was wicketless and expensive till the third T20i, but he made a fabulous return to form in the fourth T20i to pick four wickets. However, one cannot ignore the fact that he failed in three matches. His place on the team is still doubtful.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvi was a breath of fresh air in the India vs South Africa T20i series. In the absence of Jaspirt Bumrah, Bhuvi led the Indian pace attack by example. He was awarded player of the series for picking up 6 wickets and bowling with an economy that hovered around 6 runs per over. Bhuvneshwar has proved that he is still the second-best bowler for India in T20i after Jasprit Bumrah. His inclusion in the Indian team for World Cup is a no-brainer.
Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan has risen to the 7th position in the ICC T20i batter rankings after his great performance in the series. He provided the Indian team with good quick starts and established a solid foundation for the batters to come. Kishan scored two half-centuries in the series and on other two occasions registered quick scores in the 20s and 30s. He was an ideal replacement for KL Rahul at the top and should definitely feature as a reserve opener in the Indian World Cup squad.
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad scored only one half-century in the India vs South Africa T20i series. In the other three matches, he failed to register any score of substance. His lacklustre batting at the top had piled pressure on the Indian middle order and his partner at the top. Gaikwad was not able to repeat his heroics from the IPL.
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