India’s tour of South Africa is all set to get underway with the first T20I game on Sunday at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban. The first game between the two sides will start shortly, and both teams will have a great chance to kick off the tour with a win.
With some exciting names on either side, this will be one heck of a context to watch from. The Indian team will rely on the youngsters, and the return of Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Siraj will add experience to the side. On the other hand, South Africa will be confident enough to do well on home soil.
However, with the T20 World Cup 2024 just a few months away, this is good preparation for both teams. Especially Team India, which has given chances to a number of youngsters, will see who can do well in the bouncy conditions.
Some of the top performers from this team might also feature in the squad for the coming World Cup. Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan, who was part of the T20 World Cup 2007 winning team, picked an Indian youngster who is ready to perform on the big stage.
In a discussion on the Star Sports show ‘Game Plan,’ Irfan said that Rinku Singh is ready to do well in South Africa, and the conditions here suit his game. The all-rounder said, “I think he will enjoy the bounce and pace of the ball because he is the kind of cricketer who likes to face fast bowling. I really think he is a guy who is ready.
The left-hander was part of the recently concluded five-match series against Australia and did a pretty good job. He is pretty good at coming and scoring with a few overs to play, but in the fourth game, he showed that he can bat according to the situation.
Team India is in desperate need of a good finisher who can finish games in crunch situations. Rinku has shown some glimpses and has done it at the IPL level. It will be interesting to see if he can continue the same at the international level. If he can, he is certainly a candidate for the World Cup spot.
