The 5-match T20 International series between South Africa and India finished on a disappointing note, as the final match of the series in Bengaluru was abandoned due to rain on Sunday (19th June). The series was poised at 2-2 and the last game was a decider that was expected to provide a nail-biting finish to the series, but the rain spoiled the show.
India had a disappointing start to the series as they lost both of their opening games but the men in blue fought back brilliantly to win the next two games to level the series at 2-2.
There were some disappointments for team India in this series but at the same time, there were a few positives as well. Hence in this article, we will analyze the three biggest positives for the men in blue in this T20I series against the Proteas.
1. Ishan Kishan’s Excellent Form
The most expensive player of IPL 2022 Ishan Kishan had a mixed IPL season for the Mumbai Indians. The left-handed batsman scored 418 runs in 14 games at an average of 32.15 and that’s why there were a lot of concerns over his selection into the T20I series against South Africa. However, he proved the standout batter of the series as he hammered 206 runs in 5 games and finished as the highest run-scorers of the series. The 23-year-old held an average of 41.20 and a strike rate of 150.36.
In the absence of big names like Rohit, Virat, and Rahul, Ishan Kishan grabbed this opportunity with both hands and he was the only batter to cross the more than 200 runs in this series. His batting form will strengthen the batting of India which is good news for India.
2. Karthik’s Memorable Comeback
Dinesh Karthik’s comeback was in the limelight due to his impactful performances in IPL 2022. He played the role of finisher for RCB and scored 330 runs at a strike rate of 183.33. Based on his magnificent performance in IPL 2022, Dinesh Karthik was added to the Indian squad after three long years.
Making a comeback after a long time is never easy but Karthik carried his form in the T20I series against South Africa. The 37-year-old scored an unbeaten 30 off 21 balls in the second match and smashed a game-changing 55 off 27 balls in the 4th T20I in Rajkot. He was brilliant with the bat in the death overs and many voices are rising for his inclusion in the 2022 T20I world cup.
3. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s Swing Is Back
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was struggling in the last few months and he was facing a lot of criticism due to his speed and lack of swing. But he returned to form by gaining some confidence from this year’s IPL where he picked 12 wickets for SRH. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was superb with the ball for team India in the T20I series against the right-arm medium pacer was the leading wicket-taker in the 5-match series as he hunted 6 wickets in 4 innings.
The 32-year-old medium-pacer didn’t allow the Proteas batters to score runs freely as he bowled with an excellent average of 14.16 and an economy rate of 6.07. Bhuvi claimed four for just 13 runs in the 2nd game of this series in Cuttack where all the other Indian bowlers struggled. He was given The Player of the Series award for his exceptional performance and he seems to have found his rhythm back and that can only benefit the Indian team in the long run.
Last Updated on June 22, 2022
Sports Copywriter
