Sourav Ganguly, South Africa vs India 2018, Virat Kohli, Kuldeep Yadav, Rohit Sharma
Kuldeep picked up four wickets. (Credits: BCCI)

India completely dominated the One-Day International series against South Africa, winning it 5-1.

The beleaguered hosts turned out to be no match for the high-flying tourists, as they ended up losing their first-ever bilateral series against India at home.

The sixth game, on Friday, also turned out to be a no contest. Bowling first, India bowled out the hosts for just 204. In reply, they chased down the total inside 33 overs with Virat Kohli’s century leading the way.

With the series now done and dusted, the focus will now shift to the T20I series.

With form on their side, India will be looking to start the series on a winning note on Sunday (February 18).

So, here we are taking a look at the playing eleven which India could field in the series opener:

1. Rohit Sharma:

SA vs IND, 2018: 1st T20I, Johannesburg – India’s Predicted XI

Barring the century in the fifth ODI, Rohit Sharma has not quite managed to deliver on the tour so far.

The limited-overs format is considered Rohit’s forte, but the right-handed batsman could not perform as per expectation.

However, the century in the fifth game would have given him a lot of confidence. And he would be looking to come up with a strong performance in the first game.

2. Shikhar Dhawan:

SA vs IND, 2018: 1st T20I, Johannesburg – India’s Predicted XI

Unlike his opening partner, Shikhar batted brilliantly in the ODIs.

With over 300 runs to his name, the southpaw finished the series as the second highest run-scorer.

Will be keen to continue the same form in the T20s too.

3. Virat Kohli (c):

SA vs IND, 2018: 1st T20I, Johannesburg – India’s Predicted XI

Like always, India’s talismanic skipper continued to pile up runs. After the Tests, he finished the ODIs as the highest run-scorer too, scoring a staggering 558 runs.

With form on his side, he will be looking to make the most of it and lead India to another emphatic win.

4. Suresh Raina:

India, T20I, South Africa, Suresh Raina, Jaydev Unadkat, KL Rahul
Suresh Raina has earned his spot in the national squad. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Considering India’s recent middle-order struggles, Raina is expected to return to the playing eleven.

The southpaw was in brilliant form in domestic T20s which might prompt the team- management to recall him in the playing eleven.

5. Manish Pandey:

SA vs IND, 2018: 1st T20I, Johannesburg – India’s Predicted XI

Manish Pandey impressed during the series against Sri Lanka and looks set to play the first game.

6. Hardik Pandya:

SA vs IND, 2018: 1st T20I, Johannesburg – India’s Predicted XI

Pandya is yet to make an impression on the tour since his belligerent 93-run knock in the first Test. He has performed in patches, thus failing to deliver as per expectation.

But given the conditions in South Africa, he is likely to retain his place in the playing eleven.

7. MS Dhoni (wk):

SA vs IND, 2018: 1st T20I, Johannesburg – India’s Predicted XI

The former India skipper could not quite make an impression in the ODIs. In some games, he did not get the chance to bat while in some he failed to perform.

He too will be looking to make a mark in the upcoming series.

8. Kuldeep Yadav:

SA vs IND, 2018: 1st T20I, Johannesburg – India’s Predicted XI

The chinaman spinner’s first tour of South Africa has been nothing short of a dream so far.

He was one of the best performers in the ODIs, picking up a record 17 wickets. Will be Keen to replicate his form in the forthcoming game too.

8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar:

SA vs IND, 2018: 1st T20I, Johannesburg – India’s Predicted XI

Bhuvneshwar did not have the best of series with the ball. In fact, he was also dropped for the final ODI.

However, he is expected to lead the bowling attack again.

10. Yuzvendra Chahal:

SA vs IND, 2018: 1st T20I, Johannesburg – India’s Predicted XI

Just like Kuldeep, Chahal also had a stunning series with the ball. The leg-spinner finished the series with 16 wickets including the 5 for 22 in the second game.

11. Jasprit Bumrah:

SA vs IND, 2018: 1st T20I, Johannesburg – India’s Predicted XIArguably the best T20 bowler in the world at the moment, Bumrah has a tour to remember so far. He too will be keen to start the upcoming series on a strong note.

Read also: SA vs IND, 2018: BCCI president CK Khanna hails Team India after routing Proteas 5-1

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