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As the first T20I between India and South Africa takes place on Tuesday, all eyes will be on the team's leadership group, the captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill, to improve their T20I form.
After a humiliating a 0-2 whitewash in Tests and a 2-1 win in a tightly-fought ODI series which saw stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli take centre stage, Surya's boys will be aiming to continue their fine run heading into the T20 World Cup next year and beat the team who is very well amongst the strongest contenders to win the cup nexr year co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Suryakumar this year has been a far cry from the dominant force who secured back-to-back ICC Men's T20 Player of the Year awards in 2022 and 2023. This year in 17 T20Is and 15 innings, he has made just 184 runs at an average of 15.33 and a strike rate of 127.77, with a best score of 47. The Indian captain showed flashes of his brilliance during the T20Is against Australia away from home, scoring 84 runs in four innings at an average of 171.42, with a best score of 39*, including one knock when the game was called off due to rain. He is also eyeing to become the third Indian batter to complete T20I runs after legends Rohit Sharma (4,231 runs) and Virat Kohli (4,188 runs), and Suryakumar's restoration of his regular services could help him reach the milestone in this series itself. He needs to score just 246 runs more. In 95 matches, he has made 2,754 runs in 89 innings at an average of 36.72, a strike rate of 164.41, with four centuries and 21 fifties and a best score of 117. He is the third-highest run-getter in T20Is for India. On the other hand, Gill has not been doing spectacularly either since his return to T20Is after last year's tour to Sri Lanka. Now playing as a vice-captain, Gill has scored just 259 runs in 12 matches at an average of 28.77, with a strike rate of 143.09 and a best score of 47. Six of these innings involve dismissal for below 20 runs. The Indian vice-captain is also nearing the 1,000 run mark in the format, having made 837 runs in 33 matches and innings at an average of 29.89, with a strike rate of 140.83, with a century and three fifties and best score of 126*. Will the captain-vice captain duo lead India from the front? India squad for T20I series against South Africa: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar. (ANI)
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