India vs South Africa 2023-24: Team India, fresh from a triumphant 4-1 victory over Australia in the T20I series, is poised for their next challenge, a comprehensive showdown against South Africa. This upcoming clash, starting this Sunday, spans all cricket formats, kicking off with the T20Is.
Eying the impending T20 World Cup, the management is banking on youthful vigor. Suryakumar will captain this spirited squad, bolstered by Ravindra Jadeja as his deputy. Notable absentees in the T20I domain include stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Instead, the spotlight shines on emerging talents like Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, and Mohammed Siraj, who played crucial roles in India's recent ODI World Cup campaign.
The T20Is precede the 50-over format, where KL Rahul takes the reins, while seasoned campaigners like Kohli and Sharma continue to sit out.
The tour crescendos with a gripping two-match Test series, marking the return of Kohli and Sharma to the red-ball arena. Accompanying them are veteran pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, setting the stage for a riveting contest in the testing South African conditions.
Here's the breakdown of India's tour schedule against South Africa:
T20Is
1st T20I – December 10, 2023 at 9:30 PM IST in Kingsmead, Durban
2nd T20I – December 12, 2023 at 9:30 PM IST in St George’s Park, Gqeberha
3rd T20I – December 14, 2023 at 9:30 PM IST in New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
ODIs
1st ODI – December 17, 2023 at 1:30 PM IST in New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
2nd ODI – December 19, 2023 at 4:30 PM IST in St George’s Park, Gqeberha
3rd ODI – December 21, 2023 at 4:30 PM IST in Boland Park, Paarl
Tests
1st Test – December 26-30, 2023 at 1:30 PM IST in SuperSport Park, Centurion
2nd Test – January 3-7, 2024 at 2:00 PM IST in Newlands, Cape Town
The squads for the tour are set, with the T20I squad featuring:-
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohd Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, and Deepak Chahar