IND v SA 2019: 5 best performances by Indian players against South Africa in T20Is

India and South Africa to clash in a 3-match T20I series starting 15th September.

India and South Africa will be shortly engaging in a three-match T20I series starting from September 15. The two sides have a rich history in the shortest format of the game, given that India had played their very first T20I match against the Proteas in 2006 and won the match quite comfortably.

Since then, Indian players have had a very special place for their African counterparts. Though South Africa was successful in winning the last T20I series the two team played in India in 2015, Indian players have always performed well against them

Considering that, Team COC presents to you five such amazing performances by Indian batsmen and bowlers which came against South Africa in the shortest format of the game.

Here are the 5 best performances by Indian players against South Africa in T20Is

RP SINGH- 4/13, World T20 2007

RP Singh was in the prime of his form during the inaugural ICC World T20 in 2007, which was played in South Africa itself. India faced the hosts in what was a must-win game for the Men in Blue to qualify for the knockout round.

India batted first and put 153/5 on board with Rohit Sharma making 50*. The Men in Blue needed early wickets to put pressure on the tournament favorites, who needed to make 125 to make it into the next round. Enter RP Singh, who removed both the openers Gibbs (1) and Smith (4) early to jolt that chase, which never took off after that.

He came back to remove Shaun Pollack and Albie Morkel, who was looking dangerous and finished with 4/13, the best figures by an Indian in that tournament by far. His efforts helped India keep South Africa to 116/9, not only winning the match, but also knocking them out of the tournament in the process.

VIRAT KOHLI – 72*, World T20 2014

India and South Africa met in the 2^nd semi-final of the ICC World T20 2014 to see which team will face Sri Lanka in the finals. South Africa batted first and on the back of Du Plessis’ 58 and 45 from JP Duminy, put on a formidable 172/4 on the board.

India got off to a good start with Rahane making 32 and Rohit making 24 runs. But it was the chase master Virat Kohli, who made a splendid 72* in 44 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes to take the team home with help from Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh. He ran hard between the wickets in Dhaka’s heat.

India won the match by 6 wickets thanks to his exploits and Kohli was named the Man of the Match.

BHUVNESHWAR KUMAR – 5/24, 2018
India was in tremendous form when they faced South Africa in their backyard in the 2018 series. After losing the Test series 1-2, India bounced back to win the 6-match ODI series impressively by a margin of 5-1. In the T20I series, they started brilliantly at Johannesburg by putting on 203/5 on board.

Shikhar Dhawan made 72, while Kohli and Pandey put invaluable contributions to the team’s mammoth total. It was upto the bowlers now to do the trick and that’s when Bhuvneshwar Kumar stepped up. He picked 5/24 in his 4 overs with his victims being JJ Smuts, Reeza Hendricks, JP Duminy, Heinrich Klaasen, and Chris Morris. By achieving this feat, Kumar became the first Indian bowler to pick five-wicket hauls in all the three international formats and was named the Man of the Match.

ROHIT SHARMA – 106, 2015
South Africa last toured India in 2015 and the first T20I at Dharamsala, stunned the home team with a brilliant batting display. India had batted first and put on 199/5 and that score came because of Rohit Sharma.

Sharma made 106 in 66 balls with 12 fours and 5 sixes and scored his first ton in the format and became the second Indian to score tons in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. He was supported by Kohli’s 43 and Dhoni’s 20*. His effort, however, went to vain.

However, the Indian bowlers failed to defend the big total, as De Villiers’ 51, JP Duminy’s 68* and Behardien’s 32* helped the Proteas reach the target with 2 balls and six wickets to spare.

SURESH RAINA- 101, World T20 2010
Suresh Raina made the T20 format his own thanks to his feats for Chennai Super Kings in IPL and for India in various T20 matches where his cameos during the death overs, helped the team out. However, his moment of glory came in the ICC World T20 in 2010 in West Indies.

India played South Africa in Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia and put on 186/5 in 20 overs. Though M Vijay was dismissed on the second ball of the first over, it was Suresh Raina who shined brightly. He scored 101 in 60 balls with 9 fours and 5 sixes to his name, helping the team to a big total. South Africa managed 172/5 with Jacques Kallis making 73, but fell short by 14 runs.

Raina’s this century made him the first Indian to have centuries in all the three international formats for India and was the first centurion in T20Is for Men in Blue.