T20 WC final rematch: India, SA to lock horns in Durban

Players from both sides will have an added incentive to be at their best during the four-match contest as it comes right ahead of the IPL auction

- Sanjeev K Samyal

There are as many as three Indian cricket teams engaged in various competitions at the same time - the main side, having just finished the Test series against New Zealand, is in preparation mode for their upcoming tour Down Under, an India A side is already playing in Australia while a T20 side is gearing up for action in South Africa, starting Friday.

In such a scenario, you can expect any Board to struggle to field a competitive T20 side.

But thanks to the IPL, such are India's cricket riches in T20 cricket that the Suryakumar Yadav-led side is packed with enough exciting talent to make it a series to look forward to.

Full of explosive batters like Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, Reeza Hendricks, Tristan Stubbs and David Miller, South Africa is one of the best limited overs sides.

But having Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Abhishek Sharma and Axar Patel in their line-up, this young India side can match any team for firepower.

To add spice to the series, the timing could not have been better as it's the first time India and South Africa take on each other after playing a nail-biting final in the T20 World Cup in Barbados in June.

'A big challenge'

"I feel it's (South Africa) the same team line-up, only Quinton de Kock is missing (from the World Cup line-up). It is always a challenge playing against South Africa be in the T20 World Cup or bilateral series. South Africa is always a very strong team," India captain Surya said at the press conference on the eve of the first T20 to be played at Kingsmead, Durban.