India will take on South Africa in five T20I games starting on 9th June. The squad did not do well in the previous T20 World Cup and hence, the focus is intense on the upcoming edition. Although the core of the squad is fixed, there are still a couple of vacancies in the team. A few players can get selected for the event by doing well in the upcoming T20I tournament against the Proteas. On that note, in this article, we take a look at players who could use the South Africa T20I series to book a spot for the 2022 T20 World cup.
1) Dinesh Karthik
Before IPL 2022, Dinesh Karthik was nowhere in the picture with regard to Team India. However, following a strong show in IPL, DK has forced his way back to the T20I setup. With players like Suryakumar Yadav injured, DK is all set to play the entire series against South Africa.
Due to his age, DK has very little margin for bad outings. That said, the “finisher” role that he essays is a difficult one and DK might need a long rope. He is also good against pace, something that will be extremely beneficial in Australia. All these doubts could be put to rest if the Tamil Nadu player has a good tournament against South Africa.
2) Umran Malik
Umran Malik is one of the players who could use the South Africa T20I series to book a spot for the 2022 T20 World cup. The Emerging Player of IPL 2022, Umran was one of the highest wicket-taker in the recent campaign.
Umran has been used as a middle-overs enforcer by Sunrisers Hyderabad. Such a role will also help India in the Australian conditions. However, before that, Umran has to show that he belongs to this level. He can do that by doing well against South Africa.
3) Ishan Kishan
With Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul in the squad, Ishan Kishan cannot gain entry as the reserve wicket-keeper. If Ishan has to get selected for the 2022 T20 World Cup, it should be a backup opener.
The Jharkhand cricketer has to compete with the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad for this role. However, for the South Africa series, Ishan is likely to be preferred, at least, for the first few games. If Ishan finishes this series with a few impact knocks, his spot is all but sealed for the 2022 T20 WC.
