DK, Umran & Hardik: Which Indian Players to Look Out for Against South Africa?
Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh will have the spotlight on them in the T20 series between India and South Africa.
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After the glitzy IPL, the focus has now shifted to bi-lateral cricket for the Indian team members, as they kick off their five-match T20I series against South Africa in New Delhi on Thursday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Much along expected lines, India’s team wears a new look with many of the seniors rested or left out so that they can travel to England for the final Test match of the series from last year. This means Rahul Dravid and stand-in captain KL Rahul will have their task cut out in picking the right combinations for the games.
However, there’s a few players, whose presence will make the management happy. The likes of Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal are among those who are making a comeback after a great run of form recently in the shortest format, and not being excited about them in the India colours would seem a little out of place.
So, who are the players to look out for in the Indian team in this series?
Hardik Pandya
Hardik 2.0, or so it seems, is back with vengeance and that can only be good news for India. A fully fit Hardik adds balance to the team and also a bite to the bowling attack, as he can really crank it up, as was seen in the IPL final recently.
Hardik is likely to be one of the first names on the team sheet, and with most of the seniors away, expect him to play some part in the decision making along with KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. The all-rounder’s abilities are well documented, and if he can carry the form from the IPL to the India colours, he will be a big asset to the side.
Whichever side of Hardik turns up, India will be watching with keen eyes, as he is the solution to a few problems in the side. If it clicks, like it used before he got injured a few years ago, Hardik will yet again become a crucial cog in the set-up. Remember, a T20 World Cup in Australia and an ODI World Cup in India are coming up in the next 18 months.
Punjab Kings' bowler Arshdeep Singh has received his maiden call-up for India's T20 squad against South Africa.
Image: BCCI
Arshdeep Singh
The 23-year-old Arshdeep Singh is another talented fast bowler to keep an eye out for against the Proteas. Arshdeep might not posses the pace of an Umran Malik, but he adds two other things to the attack. For starters, the left-arm angle is unique, and then there is the ability to keep things very tight in the slog overs, with some excellent lines and lengths, along with his yorkers which he delivers at will.
The two reasons make Arshdeep an exciting bowler to have in a team. Arshdeep has been a consistent performer for his IPL side Punjab Kings and has picked 37 wickets in 34 appearances for his side in the IPL over the past three seasons. The yorker specialist finished this year’s IPL with 10 wickets at an economy rate of 7.58, which also included his best bowling figures of 3/37.
Arshdeep will be eyeing a few good performances as that will help further his case for the T20 World Cup. And if he teams up with Jasprit Bumrah in the slog overs and Harshal Patel, batters will have their task cut out.
Dinesh Karthik, after coming into bat at No 7, won the game for India when they needed 34 runs off 12 balls against Bangladesh.
Dinesh Karthik
Initially side-lined, and now back in the Indian squad after a brilliant IPL as a finisher for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Dinesh Karthik’s role in the blue is likely to be similar. This is a role he loves and has often finished off games in grand style, the Nidahas Trophy final being a prime example of that.
He enjoyed a dream run in the marquee tournament as he scored 330 runs at a strike rate of 183 but more importantly, he had an outstanding strike rate of 220 in death overs. Karthik is high on confidence at the moment and has openly expressed his desire to help India win the T20 World Cup to be played in Australia later this year. Should Karthik start in the first match against South Africa in Delhi, it would be his first international in over three years, and could well be the beginning of a grand new chapter in his career.
Can you imagine a trio of Pant, Hardik and DK, all in full flow in the second half of the innings for India at the T20 World Cup?
Rahul Dravid and Umran Malik in conversation
Image: PTI
Umran Malik
Fast-tracked into the Indian team after he left everyone amazed with his incredible pace in the IPL recently, Umran Malik has the spotlight on him against the South Africans. His pace can rattle quite a few batters and whenever given the chance he wants to do exactly that. He’s made that clear during the IPL, and expect the Indian team to give him a go against SA.
Malik thrilled the world with his brute pace, with deliveries clocking closeto 160kmph. Malik's rip-roaring pace helped him pick 22 wickets at an average of 20.18 and an economy of 9.03. Along with Chahal, Malik was the other Indian to pick a five-for in the season.
Malik and India will want to see more instances of the stumps going for a walk along with the batter, and that would only add more bite to India’s already big roster of pacers. We’re still getting used to saying that by the way!
Kuldeep Yadav
The India vs South Africa series is a big moment, especially for the left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Once considered the best in the country along with good friend Yuzvendra Chahal, the left-armer dropped as his form dipped and as did the confidence along with it. And after a difficult stint at KKR, he found a new lease of life at the Delhi Capitals this year.
The result – Kuldeep returned with 21 wickets from 14 games with an average of 8.43 and a strike rate of 14.19. The confidence was back and so was the guile, that made him so dangerous earlier. This is not his come back series, but he’s partnering Chahal for the first time since 2019.
If Kuldeep can keep up his end of the bargain, it will be a huge bonus for India as the spin department had taken a beating in the previous T20 World Cup.
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