3 gains for India from T20I series vs South Africa

The five-match T20I series between India and South Africa ended on a disappointing note, as the final game in Bengaluru on Sunday (June 19) was abandoned due to rain. The series was nicely poised at 2-2 and the last match promised to provide a thrilling end to the series, but the weather eventually played spoilsport.

The hosts did not begin the T20I series on a positive note, going down in the first two matches by seven wickets and four wickets, respectively. Under pressure, Rishabh Pant and Co. fought back admirably to clinch the next two games. After registering an impressive 48-run win in Vizag to stay alive in the series, they thumped the Proteas by 82 runs in Rajkot to draw level at 2-2.

While there were a few disappointments for the Men in Blue during the course of the series, there were a few positives as well.

On that note, we analyze three gains for Team India from the five-match T20I series against South Africa.

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#1 Ishan Kishan's return to form

Ishan Kishan topped the batting charts in the T20I series against South Africa. Pic: Getty Images

Young opener Ishan Kishan had a mixed IPL 2022 campaign for the Mumbai Indians (MI). The most expensive purchase at the mega auction (₹15.25 crore), the 23-year-old scored 418 runs in 14 matches at an average of 32.15 and an underwhelming strike rate of 120.11.

In some of the matches during IPL 2022, Kishan looked completely out of form. Hence, there were concerns over him heading into the T20I series against South Africa. The talented left-hander, however, had an impressive tournament. In fact, he was the leading run-getter by some distance, hammering 206 runs at an average of 41.20 and an excellent strike rate of 150.36.

Kishan’s dominance in the series can be gauged from the fact that he was the only batter from either side to score more than 200 runs. South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen was second on the list with 118 runs. Apart from the impressive stats, Kishan’s fluency in batting stood out.

Over the last two seasons in the IPL, there have been times when he has completely gone off the boil. There was no such evidence during the T20Is against the Proteas, which is good news for India.

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#2 Karthik and Hardik’s memorable comeback

Dinesh Karthik of India and Hardik Pandya made an impressive return to the Indian team. Pic: Getty Images

Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya's comebacks were in the limelight in the wake of their impactful performances for their respective franchises in IPL 2022.

Karthik played the role of finisher to near-perfection for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), smashing 330 runs at a strike rate of 183.33. Hardik, meanwhile, led debutants Gujarat Titans (GT) from the front, scoring 487 runs and claiming eight wickets, with three of them coming in the final.

The big question among critics was - could they replicate their IPL success in Indian colors against a strong South African side? The answer proved to be an emphatic yes. It wasn’t surprising as both players have been there and done that. But making a comeback is never easy, more so in the case of Karthik, who was returning to the national side after three years.

Both players carried their form in the T20I series against the Proteas. Karthik warmed up with an unbeaten 30 off 21 balls in the second match, before smashing a game-changing 55 off 27 deliveries in the fourth T20I in Rajkot. Following his impressive performances, voices are growing for his inclusion in the T20 World Cup squad.

Hardik made three significant contributions for India during the course of the series, displaying impressive consistency. After clubbing 31* off 12 balls in the opening T20I, he registered another 30-plus score in the do-or-die match in Vizag.

In the Rajkot game, he scored a crucial 46 off 31 deliveries to help India recover from 81 for four. But his bowling remained a concern as he was taken apart quite easily.

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#3 Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s efficiency

Bhuvneshwar Kumar caused a lot of trouble to South Africa’s batters. Pic: Getty Images

Until a few months back, there were question marks over seasoned pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s place in the T20I squad. His ability to swing the ball had gone missing and, with his lack of pace, had become an easy "hit me" bowler. However, the class player that he is, Bhuvneshwar has rediscovered his bite and is back in the mix of things.

He gained some confidence following an impressive IPL 2022 season for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), during which he claimed 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.34. He carried on with the same rhythm in the series against South Africa, which resulted in him being named the 'Player of the Series'.

The 32-year-old medium pacer stifled the South African batters, claiming six scalps at an average of 14.16 and an excellent economy rate of 6.07. In a brilliant display, he claimed four for 13 in the 2nd T20I in Cuttack even as all the other Indian bowlers struggled.

The experienced bowler seems to have found his mojo back and that can only benefit Indian cricket in the long run.

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