With the T20 World Cup only 4 months away, this upcoming India vs SA series is going to be crucial for a lot of players, here are 6 key players other than the obvious big names who can steal the show and book their tickets for the world cup-
(For South Africa)
1. Rassie Van Der Dussen
Rassie Van Der Dussen didn’t light up the IPL as he would have liked to, but he is perhaps one of the most dependable batsmen of South Africa who can come at no. 3 or 4 and anchor the innings as well as shift gears and go berserk when set. With an average of almost 40 at a healthy strike rate of 130.8, Rassie will look to make a mark on Indian soil in this series, and hence he is one of the 6 key players to watch out for.
2. Marco Jansen
This is the first time Marco Jansen is touring India in Proteas colors. He had a hot and cold season for SRH in this IPL which means he needs to deliver in this series if he has to confirm his ticket to Australia this October given the fact that SA already boasts a strong pace battery. Will Marco exploit India’s top-order batsmen’s vulnerability against left-arm pace early in the innings? Only time will tell!
3. Dwaine Pretorius
Dwaine Pretorius showed glimpses of what he is capable of for CSK in this IPL. In T20Is, he has a very good economy of 7.77 with an impressive average of below 20 with the ball and if required, can contribute with the bat as well. His ability to bowl perfectly at the death is very much underrated and perhaps this series is his best chance to hog the limelight. Expect a direct face-off between him and Marco for a place in the world cup squad.
(For India)
1. Dinesh Karthik
DK’s stellar IPL performance has earned him a spot in the squad. With Pant being inconsistent and one cannot depend solely on Hardik to finish off games, there lies the best (and possibly the last) opportunity for DK to prove his mettle as a finisher and veteran in blue, and DK will be hell bent to prove himself at the international arena which is why he is one of the 6 key players to watch out for.
2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
With Bumrah being rested, Bhuvi in all likelihood is going to pair up with Harshal Patel in this series. All eyes will be on Bhuvi, especially at the death overs as he needs to be at his best if he wants to secure his place at the World Cup. This series is going to be an acid test for him which is why he is also one of the 6 key players to watch out for in this series!
3. Arshdeep Singh
Nobody has nailed the yorkers better than Arshdeep in the recently concluded IPL, as simple as that! Arshdeep with his left-arm pace brings variation to the table and is expected to get his opportunity in this series and if he capitalizes it, we may well see him as the third pacer for India besides Bumrah and Harshal in the world cup.
Rassie Van der Dussen happens to be the only player who in all likelihood has booked his ticket to Australia for the world cup this October, for the rest of the 5, this series is going to be the make or break, and hence, here are the
6 key players to watch out for
- Rassie Van Der Dussen (South Africa)
- Marco Jansen (South Africa)
- Dwaine Pretorius (South Africa)
- Dinesh Karthik (India)
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar (India)
- Arshdeep Singh (India)
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