India captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed at the toss that the team was looking to bat first but remains content with bowling as they prepare for a high-stakes Super 8 clash against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium. In a significant move for consistency, the “Men in Blue” are fielding an unchanged XI, which includes a continued run for opener Abhishek Sharma.
Reflecting on the selection, the skipper acknowledged that while the decision was purely tactical based on conditions, it was “very harsh on Axar Patel” to miss out on the starting lineup. Suryakumar noted that India is focused on delivering a “punch from ball one” as the tournament enters its business end.
Playing XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
Captains’ Corner
Suryakumar Yadav (India): “I was actually looking to bat first, but it’s okay. We played here two or three days back and when they were bowling first, there was a little bit in the wicket, so why not take that advantage? It’s a big game, a great occasion for everyone to step up and show their character. It’s a full house tonight, hopefully, and we’ve got a good game for them. It’s the business end now, so you’ve got to bring your A-game. We do have three league games, but you have to deliver that punch from ball one, and I think tonight is the right time. We’ll look to bring good energy on the field, follow our good habits, and take whatever result comes our way. The pitch looks quite similar to the previous black soil surface we played on, just one strip away, not too much change. We’re happy to bowl first. It’s very harsh on Axar Patel, but we’re going with the same team – just a tactical decision, so no changes from the last game.”
Aiden Markram (South Africa): “We gonna bat first, really a good wicket and lot drier than what we have seen. The boys are looking in good touch and it’s a good place to be at the moment. We have been fortunate to play a couple of games here, this is black soil pitch. We have made four changes from the previous game. Keshav, Lungi, and Marco come back in.”
