Gqeberha,Dec 11 : India is expected to retain the same playing XI for the second T20I against South Africa, signalling the team management’s confidence in the combination that delivered a dominant win in the series opener. The predicted lineup includes Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill as openers, followed by captain Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya forming a strong middle order. Jitesh Sharma is once again likely to take up the wicket-keeper role, while the bowling attack is expected to feature Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah.
This projection once again narrows the chances of Sanju Samson making it into the XI, marking yet another potential disappointment for the Kerala batter. With Jitesh Sharma preferred for the finisher and wicket-keeper slot, and Shubman Gill returning to the top order, Samson seems to have limited openings in the current structure. Experts suggest that unless India experiments or rotates players, Samson might continue to remain on the bench despite being part of the squad. The team is focused on continuity as they eye a series win with back-to-back victories.
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