New Delhi: Suryakumar Yadav-led team India will look to make a comeback after their loss to South Africa in the second T20I at Mullanpur, heading into the third match of the series. While they secured a convincing win in the opening T20I, India were completely outplayed in the second. After choosing to field, they were pushed at the back foot by Quinton de Kock as his 90 powered South Africa to a massive total of 213/4
The target could have been chased on the surface , but India’s batting collapsed, resulting in a heavy 51-run defeat. Tilak Varma top-scored with 62, but he wasn’t supported from the other end.
Shubman Gill’s return to T20I side has been disappointing
Shubman Gill’s return to the T20I side after recovering from neck injury has been disappointing, and India may consider bringing Sanju Samson back to open, at least for a match or two, to see if he can continue from where he left off. Gill’s golden duck in the last game could lead to him being rested, despite his role as vice-captain.
Suryakumar Yadav, too, is struggling for form, with his lack of runs impacting the team. However, a change in captaincy is unlikely, as India would want Yadav to play consistently and regain his touch.
Harshit Rana might replace Shivam Dube to strengthen bowling attack
The match is scheduled to take place in Dharamsala, where the conditions are expected to favour the pacers. India could therefore bring in Harshit Rana in place of Shivam Dube to add more depth to the bowling attack. The rest of the XI is likely to remain unchanged. If Sanju Samson comes back to open, the batting order may be reshuffled, with Tilak Varma moving to number three and Suryakumar Yadav walking in at four.
India’s predicted playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jitesh Sharma, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy