SA vs IND 2024/25, SA vs IND 4th T20I Match Preview

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Big picture: The year India adopted T20

In a fickle and unpredictable format, India had arguably the best year for a team, winning 23 of their 25 T20Is in 2024. It was also the year they truly embraced the format, abandoning their safety-first approach with the bat to play striker, modern T20 cricket.

The results couldn’t have been better. They whitewashed Afghanistan and Bangladesh at home and did the same to Sri Lanka away. Meanwhile, the starting team won 4-1 in Zimbabwe. But all of that pales in comparison to the unbeaten run he achieved to lift the T20 World Cup in June.

Friday’s T20I in Johannesburg will be the last performance in this format this year. Having taken an unassailable 2-1 lead in the four-game series, they are eager to hit another positive note.

Until facing India in the final in Barbados, South Africa were also unbeaten in the T20 World Cup. But on both sides of the tournament, their performances were underwhelming. It can be argued that they are almost always missing one or more of their starting players, but the same can be said of their opponents.

Even if they win on Friday, South Africa’s winning streak in the bilateral T20I series will be eight. Still, 2-2 is much better than 3-1.

Form guide

South Africa LWLLW (last five T20Is, most recent first)

India WLWWW

Featured: Marco Jansen and Abhishek Sharma

Making his return from a shoulder problem, Marco Jansen was the South African player of the series. He may have only taken three wickets, but his economy of 6.41 is the best of any bowler in the series. The fact that India posted over 200 totals twice in three games makes Jansen’s performance even more impressive. He is also South Africa’s leading scorer with 73 runs and a strike rate of 208.57. At Centurion, he almost pulled off a seemingly impossible chase with his 16-ball half-century, South Africa’s second-fastest in the format.

Having failed to cross 20 in his last seven T20I innings, Abhishek Sharma was under pressure entering the third T20I. Sometimes he looked beyond his depth, especially against the harsh expanses, and it seemed like he only had one gear. But at Centurion, his shot selection was much better as he scored 25-ball 50s to set the platform for a big total. With Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill ahead of him in the pecking order, he will be aware that he cannot relax after just one good innings.

Team News: Peter Returns?

South Africa could consider bringing back local legspinner Nqabayomzi Peter for Gerald Coetzee.

South Africa (probable): 1 Ryan Rickelton, 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Aiden Markram (captain), 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (week), 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Gerald Coetzee/Nqabayomzi Peter, 9 Andile Simelane, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Lutho Sipamla

With Ramandeep Singh showing his worth with the bat at Centurion, India will be hesitant to make any changes.

India (probable): 1 Sanju Samson (wk), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Ramandeep Singh, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Field and conditions: Rain may delay start

Johannesburg is traditionally a high-scoring location. THE last time hosted a T20I, in December 2023, India rode on Suryakumar Yadav’s hundred to post 201 for 7. However, South Africa were bowled out for just 95 in reply, with Kuldeep Yadav taking five wickets. Rain is forecast around 4pm local time, half an hour before the draw. But the expectation is that it will be brief and we should get a complete game.

Stats and Trivia: Arshdeep Gets Close to Chahal

By 2024, India has crossed the 200 mark eight times – the more for any team in a single year.
Arshdeep Singh needs five more wickets to overcome Yuzvendra Chahal as India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is.
This year, Aiden Markram has 241 runs in 17 T20Is at an average of 16.06 and a strike rate of 120.50. The last time he scored a half-century in this format was 28 innings ago.
Tilak Varma’s 107 not out at Centurion was the 21st T20I hundred by an Indian batsman. New Zealand (12) and Australia (11) are the only other teams to have ten or more tons T20I.

Hemant Brar is deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo

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