Ind vs SA 2022: 3 Indian players who may not play a single game in the series

With the curtains having come down on the fifteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the focus now shifts back to international cricket. Team India are all set to play a five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting on 9th June in Delhi.

Five matches will be played in Delhi, Cuttack, Vishakapatnam, Rajkot and Bangalore. While South Africa will have their full strength side on show, it's going to be a new-look T20I side for the Indians. This will be an opportunity for some players to stake their claim for a spot in the T20 World Cup squad in October.

With most of the senior players rested ahead of the series in England, KL Rahul will be leading the side with Rishabh Pant as his deputy. The series will also witness the return of Hardik Panya and Dinesh Karthik to international cricket, while Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh will also hope to get their first taste of international cricket.

India will have the chance to bag their 13th consecutive T20I win, a record no other team has managed thus far. With one eye on the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia, the team management might be looking to give every squad player an opportunity in this series.

In this article, we take a look at three players who might not play a single game in this upcoming series against the Proteas.

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1) Ruturaj Gaikwad

The Orange Cap winner in IPL 2021 has been on the fringes of the Indian side thanks to his consistency. However, he's only made three T20I appearances for his nation so far, scoring only 39 runs.

KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan are expected to be the preferred opening combination at the start of the series, meaning Ruturaj Gaikwad might have to miss out. With the Maharastra batter's approach to the game quite similar to Rahul's, it's unlikely that the two will be paired up at the top of the order.

With KL Rahul also in the Test squad for the rescheduled Test in England, it's possible that the Karnataka batter might be rested for a couple of games towards the backend of this series. With him leading the side though, that looks a little unlikely at the moment.

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2) Venkatesh Iyer

With Hardik Pandya back in the mix for the Indian set-up, time seems to be running out for Venkatesh Iyer. The Kolkata Knight Riders' all-rounder earned his place in the Indian side after his impressive performances in the IPL last year but his form has tailed off a bit this year.

On the flip side, Pandya has grown from strength to strength and he led the Gujarat Titans to the title in their debut season. Not only is he returning to the side as a more mature player, he's proved why he's regarded as one of the best all-rounders in the Indian side currently.

If he can bowl four overs for his side, clocking in at the speeds he did throughout the season and also playing the role of a finisher for the country, there is no doubt that he will be the first name on the team sheet on most days.

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3) Ravi Bishnoi

The leg-spinner made his debut against West Indies earlier this year and did an excellent job for his side. His defensive bowling skills against some of the biggest hitters in the business have stood out.

Ravi Bishnoi's guile and control makes him extremely difficult to get away in a similar vein to Rashid Khan. While he may not always be a wicket-taking option, he will be an economical bowler for most days of the week.

The only thing working against him, though, is the revival fellow leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. It's unlikely that the team management will opt for two wrist spinners in their starting eleven. While they decided to use this ploy against West Indies, it's more likely that Kuldeep Yadav could get the nod ahead of Bishnoi for this series.