India vs SA T20 away series will offer finite pointers to the future

If anyone says ‘too much cricket,’ ignore it. Sample what is happening in India, with the Indian cricketers. The Test team will land in Perth in the third week of November, the India A team is already there Down Under. Add to it the Indian T20 squad now in South Africa for an exciting series, there are any number of consumers for cricket. Of course, to talk of the forthcoming IPL auction in Jeddah, on November 25 and 26 is a different ball game.

Frankly speaking, cricket was never a sport which was played throughout the year. The summer break was well defined and early winter was for domestic cricket. Now, it is like a merry-go-round, non-stop cricket. Plus, the state leagues across India, which also throw up talent. Rewind to the dark days of the Covid pandemic, when cricket came to a screeching halt three years ago, fans were upset. Sport acts as balm, so when cricket resumed under the Bio Bubble, it was a joy. Mercifully, there is normalcy in the world. Even if someone tests positive for the dreaded virus, it is treated as another form of cold and cough. The same protocol was in practice even at the Paris 2024 Olympics, when a few athletes tested positive.

Coming to the T20 series, the macro view is good for India. No, not just because India are the defending champions of the ICC T20 World Cup, but also because there is a different composition now. Rewind to the times of MS Dhoni as skipper and the charismatic Ranchi man as leader across all formats, there was fatigue. There was a cry for split captaincy. The same shrill voices were also heard till a few years ago, when Virat Kohli also led in all three formats. The good thing, after Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from T20 internationals, there is a blueprint for Indian cricket in the shortest format. Suryakumar Yadav is now the T20 captain and he knows what is expected of him. The big picture, obviously is the T20 World Cup which will be hosted by India in 2026, with Sri Lanka as co-hosts. Suryakumar will need to have a team ready, and he will be given plenty of freedom to choose what he wants to do.

Looking at performance of the proven stars, with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma at the top, it looks explosive. Sanju has established himself as a T20 regular. That also explains why he continues to remain the captain of Rajasthan Royals even as several other IPL teams are in a churning process. Sanju lends a calm touch in the IPL and also for India. There have been charges against him that he has flopped several times. That is not true, really. As for Abhishek, he is explosive, in true T20 style.

The other angle from which this T20 series against South Africa becomes important is the IPL auction. The team owners will keep an eye on who all perform in this series against the Proteas. After all, not all cricketers feature in the retention list. Strangely, Arshdeep Singh has also not been retained by Punjab Kings. In a way it is good, he will be able to test his market value in the auction. He will find plenty of team owners showing interest in him as left arm swing bowling is effective in this format. Add to it the inclusion of Avesh Khan and also two newcomers, Vijaykumar Vyshak and Yash Dayal, the series should be gripping.

In first class cricket, people have seen Vyshak and Yash showcase their skills. Yet, on the pitches in South Africa, which should assist the bowlers as well, it will be interesting. There is also Ramandeeep Singh, who can also be looked at in the fast bowling department. These boys will get their chances. Overall, the scenario is good, as four players from the 15 in SA do not have contracts in the IPL. That is just one part of the story. Building the India team for the World Cup in 2026 is also big, where all these performances will be monitored. An overseas tour does test skills and temperament of a player to the hilt.