Aiden Markram responded to the question about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s absence at the upcoming T20I series against South Africa with a very short but telling remark, using just two words to explain it: ‘it’s great.’ He was quick to point out that even though the two legends do not play, India still is a ‘great team.’ Kohli and Rohit who ended their who ended their T20I careers in 2024 with the final game against South Africa in Barbados, have been the center of attention in the current tour. Their impressive displays in the recent ODI series posed a serious challenge to the Proteas, who eventually had to admit defeat by 2-1.
Markram reflects on India’s squad and South Africa’s T20I approach
“It’s great that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are not part of the T20I side, but still it’s a great Indian team,” Markram said at the pre-series press conference at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, as quoted by news agency PTI.
He didn’t divulge too many of his team’s plans either.
“No extra plans, I guess. It’s T20 cricket, it’s an entertaining format and that’s the brand we want to play. We want guys to free themselves up, enjoy the game, let their best skills be on show. Tomorrow is the start of a new series. We haven’t selected the final XI just yet, we need a few more discussions and then we’ll come to that,” he said.
Markram confident in South Africa’s pace battery ahead of T20I series
The return of the speedy Anrich Nortje has lifted the South African team, and so the tourists would be depending on the additional speed of the former, Lungi Ngidi, and the match-winning skills of Corbin Bosch to create the biggest problems for India.
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“Our fast-bowling stock is growing… The guys will be excited and I’m sure they’ll give 100 per cent… You expect the wickets to be pretty good and the games to be high-scoring. If not, we adapt out there in the middle. Tomorrow is an important start and hopefully we can get off on a good note,” Markram signed off.
India vs South Africa T201: Pitch Report
The pitch will give extra pace and consistent bounce, making the strokeplay easier. The batters will have a lot of support from the pitch as the ball will come nicely, and it is usually a high-scoring match on this type of pitch. Spinners may not be able to find much support on this surface early on, but the pitch could grip, allowing slower bowlers to come into the game. Given the nature of the new surface and recent preparations, this contest is likely to be more run-heavy than previous T20Is played here.
