Image Credit- AP
The southern hemisphere is entering the summertime.
Dezember is in full swing (spelt with a Z because that’s how we say it to give
off holiday vibes). The only men’s international cricket match to be held in
South Africa this summer is India’s all-format tour, therefore cricket will be
taking part in the end-of-year celebrations.
That says as much about the shifting cricket scene as
it does about India’s sustained dominance as the game’s main player. Since
there is a limited amount of room for international cricket, the goal was to
get the most lucrative and well-liked opponent. Before we even discuss the
significance of the cricket, the first T20I in Durban has been sold out since
the end of last month. The other white-ball matches are also anticipated to
draw large crowds, and the tour’s overall economic boost is estimated to be around
R1 billion (approximately US $52.7 million).
Before naming their T20 World Cup squad, who will play
three games in the West Indies before to the competition, South Africa will
play these Twenty20 Internationals as their final competitive encounter. Before
the T20 World Cup, India will play these games and one more series, against
Afghanistan in January. Finding combinations is therefore crucial for both
clubs, even though their success will also depend on how well their mainstays
perform in T20 leagues, particularly the SA20 and IPL.
Therefore, this series offers a huge potential for
side players. South Africa may start Matthew Breetzke as the opening batsman in
all three games, and they may have two debutantes: left-arm quick Nandre Burger
and right-arm medium-fast Ottniel Baartman. There are no uncapped players in
India’s visiting team, however four members of the team—Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed
Siraj, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma—have played ten Twenty20 international
matches or less. It’s frequently said that experience is the best teacher, and
over the next two weeks, several of the athletes listed above will gain just
that.
With a day between each T20I and two before the ODIs
begin, the fixtures come in thick and fast. By then, the holiday season will
have officially begun in South Africa, with many people choosing to kick back
in mid-December, grab a cold one, and watch some cricket.