Gill, Hardik return as India begin official T20I WC build-up vs South Africa
CUTTACK: The return of Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya will lend fresh sheen and much-needed completeness to reigning world champions India when they begin their official march towards the home T20 World Cup with the opening match of a five-game series against South Africa, here on Tuesday.
This series marks the start of India’s formal build-up to the February showpiece, where they will play 10 T20Is — five against South Africa followed by another five against New Zealand — before opening their title defence against the USA at the Wankhede on February 7.The defending champions will look to enter this phase with clarity of intent as they refine roles, streamline combinations and settle the XI that will carry the weight of expectations in front of home crowds.
India have been a formidable T20I unit post their World Cup triumph in the format last year, where they won eight matches in a row to lift the title. Since then, they have extended their tally to 26 wins with only four losses, including a seven-match streak during their Asia Cup victory in Dubai.
They have not lost a T20I series in this period, and with only minor tweaks needed, they will be hoping to sharpen the edges against the side theydefeated in the T20 World Cup final.
Gill’s return comes after he missed almost a month of cricketHis reunion with Abhishek Sharma brings back a high-impact opening pair that marries brute force with clean, classical strokeplay.Out for more than two months after a quadricep injury during the Asia Cup, the all-rounder marked his return in style with a 42-ball 77 not out for Baroda in the SMAT before bowling four overs at full tilt for 1/52.
He arrived here a day ahead of the squad, trained solo at the Barabati Stadium, bowled for 20 minutes and went through an extended physical routine. His presence not only deepens India’s batting but restores the balance of a bowling attack built heavily on flexibility.Since India’s World Cup triumph, Samson has been the team’s third-highest run-getter, flourishing as an opener with three centuries, including two in South Africa.
But Gill’s return as vice-captain pushed Samson down the order into a role he rarely occupies in T20 cricket.
In the recent SMAT, Samson looked in excellent touch with two fifties, two 40s and a 56-ball 73 not out against Andhra, while Jitesh managed modest returns for Baroda with a top score of 41 from six outings.
Abhishek, fresh from a standout tour of Australia where he topped India’s scoring charts with 163 runs in the 2-1 victory, has been in monstrous domestic touch. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, the Punjab left-hander hammered 304 runs at an average of 50.66 and a staggering strike rate of 249-plus, including a breathtaking 52-ball 148 against Bengal as Punjab posted 310/5.