India vs South Africa 1st T20: Live Blog

As many as 10 players in the current South African team play the Indian Premier League and will therefore know what to expect when the visitors face India in the first Twenty20 international in Dharamsala on Friday night. Catch all the live updates here. (LIVE SCORECARD | NEWS | FEATURES)

1730 hrs IST: South Africa have a quality T20 side but interestingly India have dominated the Proteas in this format, winning 6 out of 8 matches played between them. (Here’s a look at the top-5 clashes between the two sides)

17:15 hrs IST: On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 146th birth anniversary, the BCCI has launched a specially minted toss coin with the images of both Gandhiji and Nelson Mandela for the Freedom Series. The toss coin in gold features an impression of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela as ‘Heads’ and the Freedom Series as ‘Tails’. (Read full story here)

All eyes will be on MS Dhoni who is returning to international cricket after a three-month break.

© AFP

This is the first time India and South Africa will be playing a three-match Twenty20 international bilateral series. With India hosting the ICC World Twenty20 in March-April next year, this urgency was expected.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s India won the inaugural World T20 in South Africa in 2007 and were runners-up to Sri Lanka in the last edition in Bangladesh in April, 2014 — having defeated the Proteas in the semi-final. (Five Talking Points)

India may be regarded as the nerve centre of the shortest format due to the popularity of the Indian Premier League, but Dhoni’s men have played just three international matches in the shortest format since the World T20 final.

Team director Ravi Shastri said although India’s immediate focus was on winning the three-match series, it will also help to identify areas that need improvement. (Stats: It’s Advantage MS Dhoni & Co.)

Team Rajasthan and BCCI officials pay homage to Shri Jagmohan Dalmiya at the #RanjiTrophy‘s opening match in Jaipur https://t.co/VnQwsrS9JF

— BCCI (@BCCI) October 2, 2015

“The World T20 is still some time away, the important thing now is to win this series,” Shastri said. “There is a lot of cricket to be played on this tour, but the T20s will give us a good idea of where we stand.”

South Africa T20I captain Faf du Plessis has so far scored seven fifties in the format.

© AFP

On a marathon 72-day tour, South Africa’s T20 captain Faf du Plessis said the Indian tour will help his players prepare for the mega event. (Spinners Will Win Us Matches: Du Plessis)

Both sides lag behind in the T20 rankings. The Proteas, the number one Test side in the world, are sixth and India, second in one-day cricket, are fourth in the shortest format.

Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel rested

The tourists have rested pace spearheads Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel for the T20 series. South Africa go into the opening match recovering from a stunning eight-wicket defeat by an effectively third-string Indian side in a practice T20 match in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Dhoni returns from a three-month break to take charge of the limited-overs teams, his first outing since a shock 2-1 one-day defeat at the hands of Bangladesh in Dhaka in June.

With Test captain Virat Kohli waiting in the wings, Dhoni will be looking to win both the T20 and one-day series to confirm his leadership role in the World T20.

The second T20 international will be played in Cuttack on Monday and the third at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens next Thursday.

India squad (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Stuart Binny, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Axar Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Mohit Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Sreenath Aravind, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra.

South Africa squad (from): Faf du Plessis (capt), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, Marchant de Lange, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Eddie Leie, David Miller, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Albie Morkel, Khaya Zondo.