NEW DELHI: When Suryakumar Yadav's men will take on South Africa in the first T20I at Kingsmead in Durban on Sunday, Team India will be returning to a venue where they are yet to lose a game in the shortest format.
India's long tour of South Africa consists of 3 T20Is, 3 ODIs and 2 Test matches and like as always a good start will matter. A victory will set India for the rest of the tour in a country where they are yet to win a series.
But India have fond memories for Durban as the Men in Blue have played 5 T20Is at the venue and have not lost any. All those matches came in the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup edition, which capitulated the winning captain MS Dhoni to stardom.
India's first match of the tournament at Durban was against Scotland, but it was a washout.
India next faced Pakistan at the same venue. The match was a tied affair and India registered a famous triumph by winning the bowl out.
1/8:India vs South Africa: Top run-scorers in T20Is
2/8:Rohit Sharma (420 runs)
<p>India skipper Rohit Sharma, who has not featured in T20Is since last year's T20 World Cup, sits atop the list of highest run-scorers in India vs South Africa T20Is. Rohit has scored 420 runs in 16 innings with one century and two fifties.<br /></p>
3/8:David Miller (379 runs)
<p>South African batter David Miller will have a chance to surpass Rohit in the upcoming three-match series starting December 10. Miller has so far made 379 runs in 15 innings including one hundred and two half-centuries. <br /></p>
4/8:Suresh Raina (339 runs)
<p>Suresh Raina, who became the first Indian batter to score a century in a T20 International in 2010, is third on the list with 339 runs under his belt from 11 innings. <br /></p>
5/8:Virat Kohli (318 runs)
<p>Having not been part of the T20I set up for more than a year, Virat Kohli made 318 runs in 12 innings against South Africa in T20Is. The former India skipper scored two half-centuries as well. <br /></p>
6/8:Quinton de Kock (312 runs)
<p>South African wicket-keeper batter Quinton de Kock features fifth on the list as he scored 312 runs in nine innings with four fifties. De Kock, who recently retired from ODI after the World Cup, will not be part of the series against India. <br /></p>
7/8:JP Duminy (295 runs)
<p>With 295 runs from 10 innings including three half-centuries, former South African batter JP Duminy secures the sixth spot. <br /></p>
8/8:Shikhar Dhawan (233 runs)
<p>Out-of-favour Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan has 233 runs to his name in seven innings, taking the seventh place in the list of highest run-getters. <br /></p>Yuvraj Singh hit 6 sixes in an over by Stuart Broad in the next match at Durban as India best England.
India went on to defeat South Africa (by 37 runs) next, with Rohit Sharma hitting an unbeaten 40-ball 50 and RP Singh taking 4 wickets.
Australia came next but the Indian juggernaut defeated the reigning ODI champions of that time by 15 runs, with Yuvraj Singh smashing a 30-ball 70.
So India have plenty of positive factors going into the match against South Africa.
Suryakumar Yadav will captain India as Hardik Pandya is out with an injury. Suryakumar is coming off fresh from leading India to a 4-1 T20 home series win against Australia.
With the T20 World Cup due to be played in the West Indies and United States in June, the three-match T20 series provides an opportunity for fringe players to press their claims.
1/9:India vs South Africa: Top wicket-takers in T20Is
Getty Images
2/9:Bhuvneshwar Kumar (14 wickets)
<p>Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been the most successful bowler in India-South Africa T20I contests with 14 wickets in 12 games. The 33-year-old has an economy of 6.69 with best figures of 5/24. <br /></p>Getty Images
3/9:Ravichandran Ashwin (11 wickets)
<p>R Ashwin sits at the second spot on the list of top wicket-takers in India-South Africa T20Is. Ashwin has 11 scalps to his name in 10 games. <br /></p>Getty Images
4/9:Lungi Ngidi (10 wickets)
<p>Pacer Lungi Ngidi has been the most successful bowler for South Africa against India in T20Is. The 27-year-old so far has taken 10 wickets in 5 matches against the Men in Blue. <br /></p>Getty Images
5/9:Wayne Parnell (9 wickets)
<p>Left-arm pacer Wayne Parnell has 9 Indian wickets to his name in the shortest format with best bowling figures of 3/15. <br /></p>Getty Images
6/9:Harshal Patel (9 wickets)
<p>Seamer Harshal Patel, who hasn't been picked for the upcoming South Africa tour has previously taken 9 wickets in 8 outings against the Proteas. <br /></p>Getty Images
7/9:Keshav Maharaj (8 wickets)
<p>Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj is at the sixth spot on the list of top wicket-takers in India-South Africa T20Is. The experienced Proteas spinner has 8 wickets to his name against India. <br /></p>Getty Images
8/9:Pretorius, Rabada (8 wickets)
<p>Bowling all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius and pacer Kagiso Rabada also have 8 wickets each against India in the shortest format. <br /></p>Getty Images
9/9:Arshdeep Singh (7 wickets)
<p>Young left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has 7 wickets in three games against South Africa with best figures of 3/32 in T20Is. <br /></p>APT20I squads:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (Capt.), Ravindra Jadeja (vice-Capt.), Ravi Bishnoi, Deepak Chahar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Mukesh Kumar, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Tilak Varma, Kuldeep Yadav
South Africa: Aiden Markram (Capt.), Ottniel Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Lizaad Williams
