SA vs IND, 2nd T20I Fantasy Preview and MPL Top Picks

Match: South Africa vs India, T20I series 2023 (SA vs IND)

Date: December 12, Tuesday, 8.30 PM IST

Venue: St George’s Park, Gqeberha

India is set to face South Africa in the second T20I at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Tuesday. The first match was abandoned due to heavy rains. Regrettably, the weather outlook for the second match is also unfavourable, with the forecast indicating potential interruptions due to rain.

The current series predominantly features younger players from both squads, as the regular seniors have opted to skip the white-ball series, prioritizing their focus on upcoming Test matches.

India has added a few players from the 2023 World Cup squad to the team that recently played a T20I series against Australia. Notable additions include Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja (who will serve as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy), Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohammed Siraj. The upcoming series against South Africa holds significance as it will provide insights into how the bowlers handle the death overs against a potent batting lineup. After this series, the only other international T20 series India have is against Afghanistan, so this series is of much importance to them in finalising the T20 World Cup squad. India, however, will also keep an eye on the performance of some of the players in the IPL 2024. 

For South Africa, this is their final T20I series before they decide on their World Cup squad. That squad, then, will play a T20I series against the West Indies before the World Cup. 

Ahead of the second T20I between India and South Africa, here’s everything you need to know to maximise your chances of winning cash prizes on MPL fantasy. 

South Africa vs India team news and predicted XI

South Africa team news and predicted XI

Team news: for South Africa, Quinton de Kock is not available for the series. Breetzke has been named as Reeza Hendricks’ partner at the top of the order. 

Full squad: Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen(w), David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, Tabraiz Shamsi, Ottniel Baartman, Marco Jansen, Donovan Ferreira, Lizaad Williams

Predicted XI:  1 Reeza Hendricks, 2 Matthew Breetzke, 3 Aiden Markam, 4 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 5 David Miller, 6 Donovan Ferreira, 7 Marco Jansen/Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Gerald Coetzee, 10 Nandre Burger, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi

India team news and predicted XI

Team news: It’s uncertain if Deepak Chahar, absent from the last T20I due to a medical emergency, will be ready for this series. India faces a choice at the top between the returning Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad, but are likely to go in with the former. 

Full squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan, Mukesh Kumar, Washington Sundar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Kuldeep Yadav

Predicted XI: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Shubman Gill/Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Mukesh Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav/Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Arshdeep Singh

Weather update and pitch report 

The pitch at St George’s Park is not a high scoring one, but it does help the batters get started. Mostly the pitch provides assistance to the pacers, who may also benefit from the weather conditions here. Spinners will be important in the middle overs. Overall, only three T20I matches have been played at this venue, from which the average score reads 164. Pacers have picked 82.9% of the wickets to here. Spinners have picked 17.1% of the wickets.

The weather could play spoilsport to the game. There is a high chance of rain washing out the match or reducing the number of overs per side. 

Head-to-head record for South Africa vs India 

India and South Africa have played a total of 25 T20I matches between them. Of these matches, India have won 13, while the Proteas came up on top 10 times. Two matches ended without a result. In the last five T20I matches between the two sides, India lead to head-to-head total 3-2. 

Five players to watch out for

Here we list five players you can use in your MPL fantasy team for SA vs IND, 2nd T20I

Rinku Singh – batsman, India 

Ever since making his debut in the Ireland series, Rinku Singh has become India’s preferred finisher in the shortest format. The left-handed batsman has impressively scored 128 runs with a striking rate of 216.95, showcasing his exceptional hitting skills. Thriving on this tour might be challenging for Rinku, facing the formidable South African pacers in their home conditions. His performances on this tour will give the selectors a better idea of Rinku’s possible place in the team for the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Ravi Bishnoi – bowler, India 

Ravi Bishnoi has been India’s best bowler over the last couple of weeks. Bishnoi emerged as the leading wicket-taker in India’s recent T20I series against Australia and ascended to the pinnacle of the ICC’s T20I bowling rankings. His distinctive run-up may present a fresh challenge for the South African lineup, particularly given their historical difficulties against crafty legspinners. 

Mohammad Siraj – bowler, India 

Mohammed Siraj did not have the best of World Cup campaign and will now be looking to impress in the shortest format to be able to find a place for himself in the 2024 T20 World Cup squad. He secured 14 wickets at a modest strike rate of 35.36 at the World Cup, and will now be up against a formidable South African batting unit. Renowned for his skill in extracting movement from the new ball, Siraj will be spearheading India’s pace attack in this T20I series against South Africa. 

Reeza Hendricks – batsman, South Africa

Hendricks was South Africa’s fourth-highest T20I run-scorer in 2022, and is their leading run-scorer in the format this year. He has racked up seven half centuries in his last 11 T20I innings. In absence of Quinton de Kock, who is unavailable for this series, Hendricks will be the player to watch out for at the top of the order. 

Heinrich Klaasen – wicketkeeper batsman, South Africa

Heinrich Klaasen has been South Africa’s standout performer this year in the shortest format, not just in international cricket but also across various T20 leagues. He has a strike rate of over 148 in T20 internationals and could be a good choice for your MPL team’s vice captaincy for this game. 

MPL XI

SA vs IND – where and what time to watch the match live in India 

The India vs South Africa T20Is will be televised on the Star Sports Network in India. You can also watch the game on the Disney + Hotstar app as well as the Jiocinema app. The match will begin at 8.00 PM IST on December 12.

Check out our detailed guide on fantasy cricket for more tips and tricks. https://www.mpl.live/blog//todays-match-prediction/

Note: The players recommended here need not be a part of the Playing 11 on game day. Users are advised to do their own research also and follow official sources and create their teams.