Multiple Indian Premier League (IPL) stars are expected to make their India debut in the 1st T20I of a four-match series against South Africa in Kingsmead, Durban. St George’s Park in Gqeberha will host the second T20I on November 10, with the third game scheduled for SuperSport Park in Centurion on November 13. The series concludes with the fourth T20I at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on November 15. The Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team arrived in South Africa on the back of posting a mind-boggling 297/6 against Bangladesh in Hyderabad, the highest score by a full member nation in T20Is.

South Africa will come hard at India, in what will also be the first meeting between the two teams since the T20 World Cup final at Barbados in June.

With Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal set to leave for Australia for a five-match Test series later this month, southpaw Abhishek Sharma will continue to open alongside veteran wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who smashed a ton during the record-breaking encounter against Bangladesh in Hyderabad last month.

With Riyan Parag recovering from an injury at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Tilak Varma will be shipped straight into the team, despite blowing hot and cold in the recently-concluded Mens T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024.

Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh will add much-needed stability in the middle-order, with the trio also enjoying also coming into the series with plenty of runs under their belts against Bangladesh.

Another player who’s coming on a high is pace bowling all-rounder Ramandeep Singh, who’s retained by Kolkata Knight Riders. Ramandeep had a strike-rate of 201.61 in KKR’s IPL 2024 win and earned a reputation of being a handy seamer and gun fielder. He recently hit 64 not out for India A in the Emerging Men’s Asia Cup semi-final against Afghanistan A, though it didn’t take the side in the final.

Varun Chakravarthy could be the sole spinner for the series-opener in Durban, while Arshdeep Patel and Avesh Khan will lead the pace attack.

Karnataka pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak is contention to make his debut as the third pacer in the side.

India likely XI vs South Africa in 1st ODI:

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Vijaykumar Vyshak

(With IANS Inputs)