India are set to face South Africa in a five-match T20I series, with the opening match scheduled to take place at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Tuesday, December 9. South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl first. The Proteas dominated the Test series 2-0, while India bounced back with a 2-1 victory in the three-match ODI series. With momentum shifting between both sides, each team will now look to finish the tour on a positive note as the T20I series gets underway.
Toss UpdateSouth Africa captain Aiden Markram won the toss and opted to field first, noting that the pitch conditions looked good with a bit of expected dew later in the evening. He added that the series would serve as a fantastic buildup to the T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav said he was slightly unsure about how the wicket would behave but welcomed the challenge, expressing confidence that the series would be a valuable test for the team.
Sanju Samson not in playing XIIndia left out Sanju Samson from their playing XI for the first T20I, opting instead for Jitesh Sharma as the wicketkeeper. Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, and Harshit Rana also missed out on selection for the series opener. Meanwhile, South Africa entered the contest with a pace-heavy attack, fielding four fast bowlers.
