India vs South Africa 2019: 5 players who would be particularly motivated to do well

South Africa will be touring India for three Tests and three T20Is from September 15 to 23 October 2019. Virat Kohli will lead the Indian team throughout the series, and will be hoping to notch up more success in an already decorated captaincy career.

Under Kohli's leadership, India did exceptionally well in the recent Caribbean tour and would look for similar results against the visiting Proteas.

Faf du Plessis will be the Test captain for South Africa, and Quinton de Kock will lead the team in the T20I series. After the disastrous World Cup, the Proteas will look to make a major statement against a strong team like India.

Every player will be motivated to contribute the necessary amount to take their team towards the finish line. But for some of the players, the motivation will be even heavier.

In this article, let us look at players who would be particularly motivated to shine brightly in the series.

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#5 Rahul Chahar

Rahul Chahar

Yuzvendra Chahal has been rested for the South Africa series, with Rahul Chahar filling his spot as the leg spinner. This is a golden opportunity for the youngster, as there is a real chance for him to be considered for the upcoming T20I World Cup.

Chahal has given away some runs in crucial stages lately, and that might persuade the management to look at a potential backup. Chahar played just one T20I match in the West Indies tour, so it would be fair to give more game time and test his ability to play under pressure.

IPL exposure would help the spinner in handling high-octane situations against the Proteas. Chahar is the leading wicket-taker for Rajasthan in the 2018-19 Vijay Hazare Trophy with 20 wickets in 9 matches, and that would also give him the confidence to do well at the international stage.

There is plenty of talent within Chahar to impress the management, but we have to see if the leg-spinner makes the most of his chances in the T20I series.

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#4 Navdeep Saini

Navdeep Saini

Navdeep Saini’s performance on the Caribbean tour was very promising. The 26-year-old picked up 5 wickets in 3 T20I matches, and got the Player of the Match award for taking a hat-trick in the first T20I.

Investing in Saini seems sensible ahead of the T20I World Cup, as he can bowl consistently in the 140 kph region. Saini is ambitious too, having expressed his intention to break into the Test team and make a mark there.

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#3 Reeza Hendricks

Reeza Hendricks

The South African management would be looking at Reeza Hendricks as an opener who can carry forward the legacy of Hashim Amla. Filling the shoes of such an extraordinary cricketer won't be easy, but a lot of faith has been put in Hendricks even though he has played just 20 T20I matches.

The 30-year-old opening batsman smashed a century in his debut ODI against Sri Lanka and also scored a ton in a recent unofficial one-day game against India A. He can take some positives from those performances in order to do well in the subcontinent.

#2 Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock will lead the South African team in the T20I series. The newly appointed captain would have a lot of expectations on his shoulders; he would be carrying a very heavy load for the Proteas in the aftermath of a disastrous World Cup.

De Kock has the ability to reshape the team ahead of the rapidly approaching T20I World Cup. Having played in the IPL over the years, the 26-year-old knows Indian conditions very well and will bank on that experience to do well in his first series as regular Proteas skipper.

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#1 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma is second to none in the shorter formats, but he has always been an average batsman in Tests. If the 32-year-old has something left to prove in international cricket, then it is to establish himself as a reliable Test batsman.

Considering the importance of each match in the ongoing ICC Test Championship, the 'Hit-man' needs to replicate his limited-overs dexterity in the longer format. The axing of KL Rahul indicates that Rohit might get his favorite opening spot to bat in, and he would be itching to prove his worth there.