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India tour of South Africa
Twenty20 International Format
1st T20I
South Africa v India
Kingsmead
Durban, South Africa
Sunday, 10 December 2023
Out-of-form Temba Bavuma will not feature for South Africa when they face India at Kingsmead in the first of three
T20 Internationals on Sunday, December 10.
Bavuma had a disappointing 2023 World Cup with the bat, scoring just 145 runs in eight innings and was dismissed for a duck as Rob Walter's side bowed out to Australia in the semi-finals.
The Proteas captain carried an injury at the tournament and will be rested for both white-ball series' against India, with Aiden Markram skippering the team in his absence.
Kagiso Rabada has also been given a breather for the three T20s and three ODIs in order to prepare for the Test series, which is the start of the World Test Championship (WTC).
Fellow seam bowlers Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi are only set to play in the first two T20s, which opens the door for Nandre Burger and Ottniel Baartman to make their debuts at some point.
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Matthew Breetzke is expected to open the batting with Reeza Hendricks as Quinton de Kock has opted to play in the Big Bash League Down Under.
Walter insists the current squad could change by the time that the T20 World Cup comes around in June next year as the SA20 will play an important part in the selection process.
"Given that some of our frontline bowlers are missing out and there are guys - let me throw it out there just to create some media hype - like Faf [du Plessis] and Rilee [Rossouw] as well as Quinny [De Kock] that could well be considered for a T20 World Cup," he said.
"And then also the SA20 that happens next year - 80 per cent of the side picks itself but there is definitely a space for other guys to get themselves into the conversation.
"The SA20 will be a very important competition as far as the World Cup goes. The household guys will most likely be there but it's an exciting time for the guys that sit on the fringes."
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will sit out the white-ball leg of India's tour to South Africa following their exploits at the 2023 World Cup on home soil.
Kohli and Sharma were the top two scorers in the tournament with 765 and 597 runs respectively from their 11 innings.
However, the duo haven't represented their country in the 20-over format since the 2022 T20 World Cup and will not be considered for the matches against the Proteas.
Suryakumar Yadav was named captain for the series against Australia and he'll continue in the role for the trip to Mzansi, with Hardik Pandya still ruled out due to an ankle injury.
Raul Dravid will remain in charge of the Men in Blue until at least after the 2024 T20 World Cup, having signed a contract extension last week.
"The last two years with Team India have been thoroughly memorable. Together, we have witnessed the highs and lows, and throughout this journey, the support and camaraderie within the group have been phenomenal," Dravid said in a statement.
"I am genuinely proud of the culture we have set in the dressing room. It's a culture that stands resilient, whether in moments of triumph or adversity. The skills and talent that our team possesses are phenomenal, and what we've stressed is following the right process and sticking to our preparations, which has had a direct impact on the overall result."
Head-to-Head (T20)
Matches - 24
South Africa - 10
India - 13
Draws - 0
No result: 1
T20 World Rankings
1 - India
6 - South Africa
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