India vs SA, 5th T20I: Preview, stats, and Fantasy XI
India will face South Africa in the fifth and final T20I on Sunday. The hosts stitched a resounding 82-run win in Rajkot. They will look to emulate the same in the series decider. The Proteas have had shoddy performances in the last two fixtures. Nonetheless, they would be backing themselves to go all guns blazing in this fixture. Here is the match preview.
Pitch report, timing, and TV listing
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will host this outing. The match will be telecast live on Star Sports Network (7:00 PM IST) and live-streamed on the Hotstar app. The wicket has been a batsman's paradise. Chasing sides have won five of the seven T20Is played here. Teams should look to score around 200 or more for a chance to claim a triumph.
India have the pedigree to pocket the series
Ishan Kishan has been a huge plus at the top. Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik's finishing abilities have been a class apart so far. Ruturaj Gaikwad can't afford a poor outing. Rishabh Pant's form is still a concern, given he was dismissed for 17 off 23 deliveries in the last game. Yuzvendra Chahal and Harshal Patel will be the deciding factors with the ball.
A look at the head-to-head record in T20Is
Both teams have faced each other on 19 occasions. India have the lead with 11 wins, while SA have eight wins to show. SA haven't lost a T20I series in India, winning by 2-1 in 2015 and later, a 1-1 draw in 2019.
Can South Africa thwart an Indian triumph?
Batting-wise, the Proteas have had abysmal shows in the last two outings. Quinton de Kock has to go bonkers in the first few overs. Hard-hitters in Dwaine Pretorius, Heinrich Klaasen, and David Miller could prove costly when in a flow. With Kagiso Rabada and Wayne Parnell being injured, a lot rides on the pace duo of Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi.
A look at the probable XI of both sides
India (probable XI): Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (captain and wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan. SA (probable XI): Temba Bavuma (captain), Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Dwaine Pretorious, Keshav Maharaj Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje.
Who are the key performers at this venue?
As per ESPNcricinfo, Australia's Glenn Maxwell has belted the most T20I runs at this venue (139). Virat Kohli (116), MS Dhoni (110), and Suresh Raina (103) follow suit. Yuzvendra Chahal has affected the most dismissals here (6). He averages a mere 12.00 with best figures of 6/25. Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan have the joint-second-most scalps, having claimed four wickets each.
Players to watch out for in the fifth T20I
As per ESPNcricinfo, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has clipped 74 wickets in 58 T20Is. He averages 24.85. Ishan Kishan has smashed 480 runs in 14 T20Is, averaging an impressive 36.92. Quinton de Kock has hammered 1,863 runs in 63 T20Is. He has notched 11 fifties. Heinrich Klaasen has slammed 567 runs in T20Is. He has struck at a phenomenal rate of 143.90.
Dream11 Fantasy Cricket options
Fantasy XI (option 1): Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dwaine Pretorius, Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel, Anrich Nortje. Fantasy XI (option 2): Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Rassie van der Dussen, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Dwaine Pretorius, Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje.
