India Playing 11 vs South Africa– 3rd T20I, 2023

India takes on South Africa in the third and final T20I in Johannesburg on Thursday, December 14. South Africa leads the series 1-0 after winning the second T20I. India needs to win the final T20i to avoid a series defeat.

India posted 180/7 batting first. It was a good batting performance overall with the middle-order scoring almost of the runs. Tilak Varma scored 29. However, it was the fifties from Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav that took India to that score. Ravindra Jadeja scored a crucial 19 in the end.

Due to rain, South Africa’s target was revised to 152 in 15 overs. Skipper Aiden Markram (30 off 17) played a cameo while Reeza Hendricks gave them a solid start. It was the middle order who then took South Africa home with David Miller (17), Tristan Stubbs (14*), and Andile Phelukwayo (10*) playing cameos.

The Indian bowlers went around the park inside the powerplay giving away 66 runs inside the batting powerplay. Despite the best efforts of the Indian bowlers in the endovers, South Africa reached the target.

It is the bowling that needs to be better in the decider. Arshdeep Singh and Ravindra Jadeja, the two senior bowlers went wicketless. Arshdeep especially needs to pick up wickets inside the powerplay. After the second T20I, India now have just four T20Is ahead of the T20 World Cup next year. People auditioning will need to make the most of the chances.

Also Read: “Ravi Bishnoi Is The No. 1 T20 Bowler In The World But…” – Sunil Gavaskar

Barring any injury concerns, the management should not change the playing XI for the final T20I. Deepak Chahar who missed the second T20I due to family concerns might miss the third T20I as well. The openers unlike the previous game need to give Team India a much better start with the bat. Both were dismissed for ducks in the second T20I. Ruturaj Gaikwad missed the second T20I due to sickness. An update on him is awaited.

India Playing 11 vs South Africa– 3rd T20I, 2023

Shubman Gill

Gil will open the batting for India. He has scored over 1000 runs in ODIS but scored a duck in his comeback. He needs to give India a good start. The right-hander has scored over 300 runs in T20Is this year.

Yashasvi Jaiswal

Jaiswal also scored a duck in the second T20I. He has scored 370 runs in 14 T20Is including a hundred after making his T20I debut earlier this year. However, he has been inconsistent after getting starts multiple times.

Tilak Varma / Shreyas Iyer

India opted to bat Varma at number three and Iyer was benched. The right-hander is a more experienced player and India might need his aggressive intent with the bat in the final T20I. Shreyas Iyer scored 53 against Australia in the last T20I he played.

Suryakumar Yadav (C)

SKY will bat at four. His number becomes critical given that he can play both ways. He will need to play according to the situation as a lot depends on him scoring runs for his team. Surya has scored 633 runs in 17 matches this year so far with one century and five fifties.

Rinku Singh

Rinku Singh will slot in at five. His maiden T20I fifty was not enough to take India to a win. However, he has shown glimpses of his ability with the bat. He will get another chance in the third T20I to show his finishing skills. Rinku made his T2-0I debut earlier this year scoring 248 runs in 11 matches.

Jitesh Sharma (WK)

Jitesh will bat at six. Both Jitesh and Rinku are being seen as finishers by the management. The right-handed keeper-batter is keeping Ishsn Kishan on the bench. Jitesh scored just one in the previous game.

Ravindra Jadeja

Jadeja will bat at seven. He scored 19 with the bat and remained wicketless with the ball. He is the vice-captain for this series and needs to perform in this must-win match. He is among the Indian bowlers with over 50 T20I wickets.

Arshdeep Singh

Arshdeep will lead the pace attack. He went wicketless in the previous game but will need to bowl a lot better in the decider. The left-arm pacer was one of the fastest to reach 50 T20I wickets.

Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj will partner Arshdeep from the other end. He was a touch fuller on his return game and went wicketless as well. Siraj is yet to get a consistent run in T20I cricket picking just 12 wickets from nine matches.

Mukesh Kumar

Mukesh Kumar will be the third semer in this lineup. He picked 2/34 in the last game including two in the same over. Mukesh Kumar is slowly mastering his death bowling skills.

Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep concludes that India predicted playing XI for the third T20I. He will also make a comeback into the XI. He last played in the World Cup taking 15 wickets and was rested from the Australia T20I series. He has taken 52 wickets in just 32 T20Is for India.

Also Read: PSL 2024: Shan Masood Named Karachi Kings Captain