Alamy Stock Photo
India tour of South Africa
Twenty20 International Format
2nd T20I
South Africa v India
St. George's Park
Gqeberha, South Africa
Tuesday, 12 December 2023
The weather forecast doesn't look good for the second
T20I between South Africa and India at St. George's Park in Gqeberha on Tuesday, December 12.
The first T20I was abandoned without a ball even being bowled due to steady drizzle throughout the day at Kingsmead on Sunday, December 10 and the picture could look the same for the second match with rain expected again.
Both teams now just have five T20Is each to prepare for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States, although the weather could put a dampner on their respective plans for this series.
With Temba Bavuma being rested and Quinton De Kock unavailable due to Big Bash League commitments, Reeza Hendricks will open the batting with Matthew Breetzke for the Proteas.
Tristan Stubbs will compete with Heinrich Klaasen for the wicketkeeping gloves, while left-arm fast bowler Nandre Burger could make his debut
Franchise cricket could have an impact on team selections, with the SA20 season running from January 10 to February 10. Aiden Markram admits the domestic scene could be important for players to find form.
"It's a strange one," Markram said. "Not ideal that we have only six games (now five before the T20 World Cup) but we're fortunate that there's still a lot of T20 cricket, in terms of SA20 and the domestic T20 competition just after that.
"Hopefully, everyone can be fit and ready to go for us when it comes down to selecting the World Cup squad, which we will keep all our fingers crossed for.
"But guys will be playing T20 cricket and ultimately we will be able to get a good gauge of what our best squad is that we can send out for the World Cup."
India stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav also believes the 2024 IPL season will also provide their players the opportunity to get games and experience of playing cricket at a high level.
"I feel there are limited T20s going forward, before the T20 World Cup, but then we play 14 league games in the IPL as well," Suryakumar said.
"And players who have been playing in these T20 internationals... they've played a lot of games, and they have a lot of experience under their belt.
"So, we don't think there will be an issue or any problem in selecting the squad because everyone knows their roles really well and responsibilities really well - [like] how to play in different situations."
Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma will be hoping to strengthen their chances of nailing down a place in India's T20 World Cup squad after the duo showed glimpses of their potential against Australia recently, having both starred in IPL 2023.
Head-to-Head (T20)
Matches - 24
South Africa - 10
India - 13
Draws - 0
No result: 1
T20 World Rankings
1 - India
6 - South Africa
Bet on local and international cricket
Bet on all international and local cricket action all year round as we bring you the best online cricket betting platform. We offer a variety of Bet Types you can bet on, these include: Match Result, Team with Top Batter, Will there be a tie, Top Bowler, Coin Toss, Any Player to Score a Milestone, Total Runouts. Join Betway now & bet on cricket.
Stand to win big with Live Games
Enjoy your favourite Live Games from as little as R1 per bet with massive winning potential of up to R5 million on some selected games. Unlock all your favourite Live Games today and take a seat at your favourite tables to take on the dealer head-on. 
For all the latest sports news, betting tips and promotions follow Betway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Download the Betway App.