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India cricketers, along with coach Gautam Gambhir, visited Shri Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri on Tuesday to seek blessings ahead of the first T2OI of the five-match series against South Africa, set to be played on the same day at Cuttack's Barabati Stadium.
The Indian T20I team captain, Suryakumar Yadav, who was with his wife Devisha Shetty and Tilak Varma, were among the cricketers who visited the temple. They entered the temple under tight security arrangements. Both India and South Africa will lock horns in the T20Is after a riveting Test and ODI series. While the visitors defeated India 2-0 in the Tests, India, riding on the comeback of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, bounced back and beat South Africa 2-1 in the ODIs. For Team India, Shubman Gill, who missed the Tests and ODIs due to a neck injury, and Hardik Pandya are returning. They are expected to slot straight into the playing XI, boosting India's batting lineup. Star pacer Jasprit Bumrah will also return after being rested during the ODI series. South Africa, meanwhile, welcome back veteran David Miller as they field a full-strength squad for the series. Anrich Nortje is also returning, and several players will be using the series as an opportunity to showcase their skills ahead of the IPL auction on December 16. This will be the first T20I meeting between the two sides since the 2024 T20 World Cup final, where the Rohit Sharma-led India clinched a seven-run victory. The series also serves as preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be held in the subcontinent next February. India vs South Africa 1st T20I squads South Africa Squad: Quinton de Kock(w), Aiden Markram(c), Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Reeza Hendricks, Ottneil Baartman, Donovan Ferreira, Kwena Maphaka, George Linde India Squad: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma(w), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana. (ANI)
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