Aiden Markram couldn’t be more pleased that he won’t be seeing the faces of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the India vs South Africa T20I series. The veteran batters had battered the Proteas black and blue, helping India win the ODI series 2-1. Rohit struck two fifties, while Kohli crossed the 50-run mark in each of the three matches, including back-to-back hundreds in Ranchi and Raipur.
Markram happy with Rohit-Kohli’s absence
Markram, South Africa’s T20I captain, is pleased that he won’t have to battle with Rohit and Kohli again. But acknowledged that beating the new Indian team sans them won’t be easy either.
“It’s nice that Virat and Rohit aren’t here, but this is a really good Indian T20I side,” Markram told reporters in Cuttack.
Planning for danger-man Abhishek Sharma
The senior pros were India’s highest scorers in T20Is, but even if they were playing, South Africa’s biggest challenge would have been Abhishek Sharma. The current number one-ranked T20I batter recently scored the third-fastest hundred by an Indian batter and terrorises bowlers all over the globe.
But Markram already knows the threat Abhishek poses. He spent 3 seasons, 2022 to 2024, with him at the Sunrisers Hyderabad and saw Abhishek become the destructive batter the world witnesses now. Markram revealed that the South African bowlers have devised a plan to keep him quiet, but the viewers will have to wait and see how it unfolds.
“Abhi is a great guy, and his talent with the bat is undeniable. He is a match-winner, and capturing his wicket early is pivotal. I have played with him for (Sunrisers) Hyderabad…lovely guy. I can’t give you the secrets of how we are planning against him, but hopefully we’ll not allow him to score big runs,” Markram added.
IND vs SA T20I series schedule
| Match | Date | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | Dec 9 | Barabati Stadium, Cuttack | 7:00 PM |
| 2nd T20I | Dec 11 | Mullanpur, Chandigarh | 7:00 PM |
| 3rd T20I | Dec 14 | HPCA, Dharamsala | 7:00 PM |
| 4th T20I | Dec 17 | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | 7:00 PM |
| 5th T20I | Dec 19 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 7:00 PM |
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