3 Indian players whose future in T20 side depends on the series against South Africa

India's long tour of South Africa has entered the final leg with the three match T20 series, which is going to get underway on Sunday at Johannesburg. After a disappointing loss in the Test series, the Indian team made a brilliant comeback winning the ODI series 5-1. Now the world has turned its attention towards the shortest format of cricket.

India has a settled T20 side and the team will look to continue their dominance in this T20 series as well. They will also look to give chances to players who haven't had any game time on the tour yet. However, there are certain players in the side for whom this series will be a make-or-break series, as their performances in the recent past haven't been up-to the mark. Poor performance in this series might temporarily halt, or even put an end to their T20 careers.

#3 Shikhar Dhawan

Can Dhawan carry his ODI form in T20s ?

In the last few T20 series, India has preferred KL Rahul over Shikhar Dhawan to open the innings with Rohit Sharma. Shikhar Dhawan has flattered to decieve in T20 format, and the selectors have often been forced to look elsewhere for other options. In T20s, Dhawan averages 21.72 with a strike rate of 118.30 and has been guilty of letting the team down in crucial matches.

However, he is in dazzling form at the moment and the team management will be tempted to persist with him. He finished as the second highest run scorer in the ODI series, scoring 320 runs at an average of 64. He would want to continue this form in the T20 series as well because a below-average series might put an end to his T20 career.

#2 Manish Pandey

Time is running out for Manish Pandey

India has tried a number of players in the middle order but without much success. Manish Pandey has been groomed for over a year as a middle-order batsmen but unfortunately hasn't been able to stitch up consistent scores for the team. Since his debut in the year 2015, Pandey has played only 22 ODIs and 15 T20s.

While he has shown glimpses of brilliance with the bat, his temperament has always been questioned as he has been found playing rash shots in crucial times in the innings. With the competition heating up for a place in the middle-order, a poor T20 series might prove costly for Pandey's career.

#1 Suresh Raina

This might be Raina's last chance to get back in team

Suresh Raina's selection in the team was based more on the team's requirement than his performances. He has had a rather mediocre domestic season and his selection raised a few eyebrows, but then India needed a batting all-rounder who can finish matches for the side. Raina's off-spin will come in handy, as South Africa has a lot of left-handers in their batting line-up.

For Raina, this is an excellent opportunity to redeem himself and put his name in the reckoning for next year's World Cup. But if Raina fails to grab this opportunity, it will be very difficult for him to make another comeback to the side and his dream of playing next year's World cup might come to a premature end.