Samson’s stunning 107 off 50 balls powered India to a commanding 61-run victory in the series opener, but the lack of runs from other key batters remains a concern for the visitors.
India need address this issue to ensure that the burden doesn’t fall too heavily on their in-form keeper-batter.
For South Africa, the loss was a hard blow, marking their second consecutive defeat to India after their loss in the T20 World Cup final in June. With key players such as Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Tabraiz Shamsi all missing from the squad, the Proteas are already struggling without some of their most experienced campaigners.
The absence of these senior players will make the second T20I an uphill battle for South Africa, particularly with their recent form. Having lost 0-3 to the West Indies and drawn a series against Ireland, the Proteas will need improved performances from their senior players, including captain Aiden Markram, David Miller, and Heinrich Klaasen.
Teams (from):
India: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (C), Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Patrick Kruger, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Mihlali Mpongwana, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Andile Simelane, Lutho Sipamla (3rd and 4th T20Is), Tristan Stubbs.
