IND vs SA: Is Hardik Pandya Playing Today’s India vs South Africa 1st T20I? Here’s the update

Hardik Pandya IND vs SA: India is all set to host South Africa for an important three-match T20I series and the opening T20I encounter is scheduled to begin on 28 September, 2022 at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. The Men in Blue are coming into this series on the back of an amazing 2-1 T20I series victory at home against Australia even after losing the opening game in Mohali. This will also be the last three T20I matches for the Indian team ahead of the all-important ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

IND vs SA: Is Hardik Pandya Playing Today’s India vs South Africa 1st T20I? Here’s the update

The Indian team management and the national selectors took a really brave call when they announced that premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya will not be available for the three-match T20I series against South Africa at home. The injury-prone all-rounder will instead be travelling to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for his conditioning related work alongside senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. During the first T20I against Australia recently, Hardik contributed with a blistering unbeaten knock of 71 runs off only 30 balls and more importantly, he has played a significant role for the team both with the bat and ball since his return from injury. It is quite evident that the team management wants to manage his workload and keep him fit for the T20 World Cup.

In Pandya’s absence and Deepak Hooda unavailable due to back injury, wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant is very much likely to make a comeback into the India playing XI for the first T20I against South Africa on Wednesday. With both Pant and Dinesh Karthik part of the side, India are expected to field five specialist bowlers including three pacers, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel and Jasprit Bumrah.

Related: Who Will win T20 World Cup 2022?

Probable India Playing 11

1. Rohit Sharma (C)
2. KL Rahul
3. Virat Kohli
4. Suryakumar Yadav
5. Rishabh Pant (wk)
6. Dinesh Karthik
7. Axar Patel
8. Harshal Patel
9. Arshdeep Singh
10. Jasprit Bumrah
11. Yuzvendra Chahal

Related: T20 World Cup 2022 Squads of All Teams

India vs South Africa 2022 Schedule

Related: Most T20I runs for India in a calendar year [2012 to 2022]

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