West Indies is all set to play a three-match T20 series against South Africa before the T20 World Cup. The series will be beneficial for both sides in the preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
The series comprises six matches but the remaining three matches will be played after the World Cup in the first week of August. West Indies captain Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, and Andre Russell, are currently in India for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season 2024 while Nicholas Pooran and Shai Hope have been given rest.
In the absence of Rovman Powell, Brandon King will lead the West Indies side also he is likely to open the innings with Johnson Charles. Romario Shepherd and Shamar Joseph will be part of the West Indies side, however, their performance in the Indian Premier League was not good enough. Gudakesh Motie and Akeal Hosein are also part of the West Indies side, they can play a vital role alongside Romario Shepherd and Shamar Joseph against the Proteas.
On the other hand, South Africa will miss their key players Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, and Marco Jansen due to the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League. Quinton de Kock is back in the Proteas side for the first time since the ODI World Cup and is likely to open alongside Reeza Hendricks.
Kagiso Rabada will miss the series due to injury but he will be in the team before the T20 World Cup.
Here are the probable playing XI of both teams
South Africa (SA):
Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Rassie van der Dussen (captain), Andile Phehlukwayo, Gerald Coetzee, Matthew Breetzke, Wiaan Mulder, Bjorn Fortuin, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi
West Indies (WI):
Brandon King (captain), Johnson Charles (wicketkeeper), Kyle Mayers, Alick Athanaze, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Fabian Allen, Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie
Head to Head:
West Indies and South Africa have faced each other on 19 occasions in short format. South Africa has won 11 out of 19 games while West Indies won 8 matches but this is the golden opportunity for West Indies to make their record strong against Proteas.
Key Players:
From the West Indies side, Johnson Charles and Shamar Joseph could be the key performers and can change the mode of the game.
On the other hand, Proteas Quinton De Cock and captain Rassie van der Dussencan impress with the bat while Lungi Ngidi could be the game changer with his bowling skills.
Live Streaming:
This series will be live in India on the Fancode app and website. Here are details for other regions:
West Indies: Rush Sports, ESPN
South Africa: SuperSport (Channel 212)
UK: TNT Sports 1
Match Details:
The first T20 match of the three-match T20 series will be played on Friday at midnight (PKT) in Sabia Park, Jamaica.
Probable Scenarios:
Scenario 1:
WI won the toss and decided to bat first:
Power play: 45-50 runs
1st inning total: 155-160
SA won the match
Scenario 2:
We won the toss and decided to bowl first
Power Play: 50-55 runs
1st inning total: 170-180
SA won the match
