South Africa have announced their squads for the Tests, One-Day Internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) in India starting October 2. With different skippers for each format and a lot of new faces in each squad, South Africa will send a large roster of players to India. Given that the upcoming ICC World T20 2016 also to be played in India, South Africa have also picked a rather large 15-man squad for the T20I series as well. A lot of the players are known faces in India due to their exploits in Indian Premier League (IPL), but there are a few unknown quantities as well. Shiamak Unwalla analyses the Proteas’ T20I squad. READ: India vs South Africa 2015: South Africa announce squads for Tests, ODIs and T20Is
Batsmen: Faf du Plessis will lead the team as he has done with distinction over the last few years. He has also been one of South Africa’s most consistent players in T20Is. While Hashim Amla has not had a very productive T20I career, he is a reassuring presence in the line-up. Quinton de Kock has an excellent ODI record against India, and will look to build on that in the T20Is.
David Miller is a well-known face in India thanks to his exploits for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in IPL, and will look to utilise his experience in familiar conditions. Khaya Zondo is something of an unknown quantity, but has some familiarity playing in India thanks to the Champions League T20 (CLT20) 2014. But the one man India know — and fear — the most is AB de Villiers. The South African wizard can manufacture shots that lesser batsmen cannot even conceive. He will be the main threat for India. READ: South Africa balance experience and youth in potent squad for India ODIs
All-rounders: In JP Duminy, Farhaan Behardien, David Wiese, and Chris Morris, South Africa have a useful set of all-rounders as well. Barring Behardien, the others have all played and thrived in IPL. Duminy has been a huge asset for whichever team he plays for in T20 cricket, and Wiese is the complete package: he can bowl quickly but has a good slower ball and packs quite a punch with the bat. With so many all-rounders in the team, South Africa can experiment with the line-up without worrying too much about balance. Morris did especially well for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2015, and could be one of the starters for South Africa.
Fast bowlers: With no Dale Steyn or Morne Morkel, South Africa are relying on the young trio of Marchant de Lange, Kagiso Rabada, and Kyle Abbott. All three pacers have exciting domestic records, and have the potential to cause a few early setbacks to the opposition. Abbott was a part of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2015, but he did not get much match practice. However, he did play Champions League T20 (CLT20) in 2014, which was held in India. READ: MS Dhoni vs Virat Kohli: Who should captain India against South Africa in ODIs?
Spinners: Imran Tahir and Eddie Leie are both leg-spinners, but both men come with a considerable reputation for excelling in T20 cricket. Tahir was one of the few players who managed to find success for Delhi Daredevils (DD) in IPL 2015. Meanwhile, Leie boasts of an economy rate of less than 6 in T20 cricket. He is an unknown quantity for the Indians, and will be someone to watch out for.
South Africa T20I squad: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wk), AB de Villiers, Khaya Zondo, David Miller, JP Duminy, Farhaan Behardien, David Wiese, Chris Morris, Marchant de Lange, Kagiso Rabada, Kyle Abbott, Imran Tahir, Eddie Leie. VIDEO: India vs South Africa 2015 ‘Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela’ series promo launched by Star Sports
(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek who loves cricket more than cricketers. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)
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