India vs South Africa 2022: 1st T20 Predicted Fantasy Playing 11

Rishabh Pant to lead as we look at the best predicted fantasy playing 11 for Team India for the 2022 1st T20 International vs South Africa. 

Please note, the article has been updated after KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav were officially ruled out of the series following an injury. 

After an exhausting IPL 2022, the Indian team players are back to play for the national side. To begin the International calendar for the remaining of 2022 and later, we have the South Africa T20 series. The 5-match T20 series begins on June 9, 2022 and ends on June 19, 2022. 

It’s been 15 times India and South Africa have met in a T20 series, and out of these 15 matches, India have a superior record having won 9 matches and losing just 6. Surprisingly, the last time India played South Africa in a T20 International was almost 3 years back in Sep 2019. 

The 2022 series promises to be an interesting contest, however, that doesn’t mean India are without any issues. A lot of key players are missing from the squad, and it’s almost a B side that would play against a full-fledged South Africa side. Rishabh Pant shall be leading the side as KL Rahul, who has been ruled out of the series due to injury. 

So, with plenty of action to be followed, let’s look at the best predicted fantasy playing 11 for India vs South Africa 1st T20 International. Before that, let’s look at the key match details. Meanwhile, According to the leading website, Betway, India have better winning odds as compared to South Africa with value set at 2.5 for this match. 

India vs South Africa 2022 – Official T20 Series Squad for Team India: 

Batters: Ruturaj Gaikwad & Shreyas Iyer

Wks: Dinesh Karthik, Ishan Kishan & Rishabh Pant 

All-rounders: Axar Patel, Deepak Hooda, Hardik Pandya & Venkatesh Iyer

Bowlers: Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Umran Malik & Yuzvendra Chahal

Coach: Rahul Dravid // Captain: Rishabh Pant // Vice-captain: Hardik Pandya

Match Details:

Tournament: South Africa Tour of India 2022 

Type: T20I Series – 1st T20I

Where: Delhi

When: June 9, 7 pm IST

Playing 11 for Team India:

Openers: Ruturaj Gaikwad & Ishan Kishan

In a form of shocking news, KL Rahul got ruled out of the series on account of a groin injury. The news came late in the evening on June 8th. With KL Rahul injured, the opening combination seems settled. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan will have full 5 matches to prove their mettle on the International stage. 

Middle-order: Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant & Deepak Hooda

The middle-order shall for sure see Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant playing a key role. While Shreyas shall mostly play a role of an anchor, Pant will have to adapt depending on the situation he would be playing. The absence of Virat Kohli shall add more responsibilities to their shoulders. In addition, Rishabh Pant shall also captain the side given that KL Rahul has been ruled out. 

Apart from these two, Team India would have to select one of Dinesh Karthik or Deepak Hooda in their playing 11. This is a big headache as both have been in really good form as seen in IPL 2022, and it is about what exactly the team is looking for from these two.

If Team India is looking for a more aggressive finisher, DK gets the cu, but if India are looking for someone who can play a dual role, Deepak Hooda gets the cut. However, with KL Rahul being the captain, he might have a soft corner for his LSG teammate, Deepak Hooda, who also happens to have impressed in the limited T20Is he played before the IPL.  

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya & Axar Patel 

Talking about the all-rounders, India have three options to choose from. This includes Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer & Axar Patel. Of the three, Hardik definitely makes the cut as he is the most experienced candidate. The other all-rounder shall most-likely be Axar Patel. The prime reasons for that are his experience of playing in Delhi and spin-friendly conditions.  

Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan & Yuzvendra Chahal

Talking about the bowlers, this is the area which would see India analyse a few permutations and combinations before picking the final 4. If we talk about confirmed bowlers to feature in the playing 11, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal make the cut without any doubt. 

However, if we talk about the remaining two bowlers, there are 5  options in the form of Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi & Umran Malik. If playing in Delhi experience is the criteria, Avesh shall be the first name to be included. Hence, Avesh gets the cut as the third bowler of the squad. 

Talking about variations, there is no better bowler than Harshal Patel at the moment in India. His mixture of slow deliveries and pace deliveries is something that is quite unique. So, with Harshal included, the likes of Arshdeep, Umran, and Bishnoi will have to wait for a little.  

India vs SA 2022: Best Predicted Playing 11 for 1st T20 for Team India

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (C&WK), Deepak Hooda, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel,  Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan & Yuzvendra Chahal

India vs SA 2022: Best Predicted Playing 11 for 1st T20 for South Africa

Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock (WK), Temba Bavuma (C), Rassie Van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada & Lungi Ngidi

Best Fantasy XI Prediction for India vs South Africa 2022 – 1st T20I 

Batters: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer & Rassie van der Dussen

Wks: Quinton de Kock & Rishabh Pant

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya & Dwaine Pretorius

Bowlers: Kagiso Rabada, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal & Tabraiz Shamsi

Alternate CVC Choice: Shreyas Iyer & Quinton de Kock

So, that completes the best predicted playing 11 for Team India for the 2022 1st T20 vs South Africa. Overall, there shall be a fight for two positions of the Middle-order and bowling department. It would be interesting to see how KL Rahul leads the team as the last time he led India, vs South Africa, we lost the series 0-3 in the ODIs.     

Thanks for reading! What’s your playing 11 for Team India for the 2022 1st T20 vs South Africa? Please email your comments to business@cricalytics.com

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