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Suryakumar Yadav-led India will lock horns against Aiden Markram's South Africa in the first T20I match of the series on Friday at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban.
The Proteas will be facing India in a T20 game for the first time after their defeat against Men in Blue in the T20 World Cup 2024 final on June 29. The series between India and South Africa begins on November 8 at Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban. St George's Park in Gqeberha will host the second T20I on November 10, with the third game scheduled for SuperSport Park in Centurion on November 13. The series concludes with the fourth T20I at Wanderers Stadium on November 15. Both sides have faced each other 27 times in the 20-over format and the Men in Blue clinched a win 15 times. The Proteas managed to win in 11 matches. The Men in Blue are coming into this series after a thumping 3-0 series win over Bangladesh, recently, in October. Meanwhile, the Proteas have failed to recover from their defeat in the T20 World Cup 2024 final. After their defeat in the final of the ICC event in June, South Africa conceded a 3-0 loss to the Caribbeans and drew 1-1 against Ireland. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Suryakumar outlined the thought process behind his captaincy whenever he stepped up to lead the side. He wants to give everyone the necessary comfort, which allows his players to express themselves. "You have to understand what's happening around, what's going on in their [the players'] minds, and it is very important to give them that comfort. Everyone has a different skill set, and they also want to come out and express themselves. So that freedom is very important when they get onto the field, and that is what I try and give," Suryakumar said ahead of opening T20I against South Africa. "Whatever is running in their mind, I listen to them carefully. Off the field, I try and spend a lot of time with them to understand their strengths, who can deliver for me in a pressure and current situation, and that's how I am on the field," he added. Meanwhile, Markram said that it will be an interesting series since they will be playing in front of home fans. He added that the Proteas won't be taking the first T20I game as the rematch of the T20 World Cup 2024 final. "It's the same countries I guess...but personnel has changed for both teams. It's always an exciting series when you play against India and especially when you play them at home. It's a series we have always looked forward to. We have not addressed anything about it being a rematch or things like that. Obviously, a lot of talk and promotions have happened through that lens, which is completely understandable," Markram said. India's T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal. South Africa T20I squad: Aiden Markram (C), Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Patrick Kruger, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Mihlali Mpongwana, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Andile Simelane, Lutho Sipamla (3rd and 4th T20Is), and Tristan Stubbs. (ANI)
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