India's potential side for first T20I

India had started the South Africa tour on a negative note losing the first two tests. They made a comeback in the third test, winning it by 63 runs. They continued their brilliant performance in the ODI series as India clinched its first ever series victory in South African soil.

India outplayed South Africa in all departments and has won the series with a handsome margin of 5-1. The team would look to take the momentum into the T20 series as it takes on the South African side in the first T20 in Wanderers on the 18th:

Openers

India would expect a good start from the openers

Rohit Sharma:

Rohit Sharma got his form back in the 5th ODI after consecutive failures in the Tests and in the first 4 ODIs. He had a great T20 series against the Lankans as he scored a century in Indore.

Rohit is the vice-captain of the Indian team in the shorter formats of the game and it is expected that he will play an important role in determining the result of the series.

K.L Rahul

Shikhar Dhawan had a great ODI series in South Africa and is in red-hot form. He has a decent T20 record as well but the team management prefers to use Dhawan in the ODIs and Rahul in the T20s.

Rahul had a great T20 series in India against Srilanka as he scored a blistering 89 in 49 balls in the first T20. He is only the second Indian to score an International century in T20s after Rohit Sharma

Middle Order

Virat Kohli

Kohli has been splendid in the South African series

Virat Kohli will be returning back to the T20 team after a break in the Lankan series. The Indian captain would be looking to continue his splendid run in the T20 series as well.

Kohli has been India's leading run scorer in ODIs and Tests and has been instrumental in India's triumph in the ODI series

Suresh Raina

Raina is back in the Indian team after a gap of a year

Suresh Raina last played in India colours in February last year. He is back after a year and one would expect him to get a place in the playing X1.

Raina has a prolific record in the shortest format of the game and Indian fans would be eagerly waiting to see him back in action and would hope that Raina finds back a permanent place in the team.

Manish Pandey

Pandey will be looking to play his first game of the series

Manish Pandey has been warming the bench throughout the South African series and he would probably be getting a chance in the first T20 match. He had a decent series against the Lankans scoring a 33 in the 2nd T20 in Mumbai.

Dinesh Karthik, Shreyas Iyer are the other options for Kohli but since Pandey has been a regular member of the T20 side since last year, one would expect him to get a place ahead of Karthik and Iyer.

Keeper and All-Rounder

Dhoni and Pandya would look to get their form back

MS Dhoni

Dhoni has been in poor form in the series as he hasn't been able to get a hold of things in South Africa. He would be looking to get back his form in the T20 series.

Rohit Sharma had used Dhoni at number 4 position in the Srilankan series and it would be interesting to see as to where Kohli decides to use him in this series.

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya started off the South African series with a brilliant all-round performance in the first test. His performances since then though have been below par.

Pandya has been touted as the next Kapil Dev but the South African series has proven that he still has a long way to go. T20 is his favourite format and India would expect a good performance from him in the series

Spinners

The duo has had a great run in the South African series

Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal has had a dream run in International cricket for over a year now. He has spun a web around the South African batsmen and has booked himself a permanent place in the Indian team.

Chahal has picked up 16 wickets in 6 matches in the ODI series with a five-wicket haul to his name. India would hope that he would continue his splendid run in T20s too.

Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav has been in brilliant form ever since he made his debut for the Indian team and has formed a potent bowling combination with Chahal.

He has picked up 17 wickets in 6 ODIs in South Africa and is almost assured of a place in the Indian squad for the 2019 World Cup.

Pacers

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Kumar has been India's best bowler

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been India's best bowler in all formats of the game for more than a year. He is among the most improved pace bowlers in the world right now.

Kumar had a brilliant test series against South Africa and was adjudged the Man of the Match in the 3rd Test which India won. He didn't have a great ODI series and would look to make amends in the T20s

Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah is India's death overs specialist

Jasprit Bumrah is India's best bowler in the shorter formats of the game and has been India's death overs specialist.

Bumrah has picked up 8 wickets in 6 ODIs in the South African series and has provided the team with breakthroughs on important occasions.