South Africa failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2020 T20 World Cup despite losing one match and winning four. Since then, the Proteas have been on a roll. South Africa is the team to beat in the World Cup thanks to aggressive batting and strong spinners. Rejuvenated In 2022, South Africa was undefeated in the T20 series. South Africa tied (2-2) with India, defeated England (2-1), and defeated Ireland (2-0).
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After playing India in a T20I series that ended in a 2-2 tie away from home two months prior, South Africa defeated England in an away T20I series by a score of 2-1.
The loss at Bristol during the first T20I of the series was an instance when their flimsy fielding cost them dearly; Jonny Bairstow was dropped four times during the game. It’s possible that a week before the start of the series, they were still trying to fix the roles of a few players.
Before the huge event, the Proteas had checked all the necessary boxes.
Despite losing the first T20I match against England by a significant margin of 41 runs, Tristan Stubbs’ late fireworks helped South Africa retain some of its dignity. Only 96 hours later, the situation was reversed when the visiting team hammered England in every area, giving the latter team the series victory.
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From the position they found themselves in when Quinton de Kock pulled the ball on to the stumps for a three-ball duck, to the one they were in when captain David Miller nabbed an easy catch to send back the last man in the third T20I match.
South Africa will be a team to beat during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia in October given their strong batting and bowling lineups and adequate backup options.
Strong Protea batting order: Hendricks, Rossouw, Miller, and Stubbs.
When some of South Africa’s best batsmen in the shortest format retired, there was a time when they suffered in the batting area for a few series. They have solved this issue, though, as they posted three 145+ scores in the series versus India, despite the slow playing surfaces.
They are able to be daring and aggressive from the first ball to the last ball thanks to their extensive hitting lineup. Additionally, they have a sufficient number of backup players, so they have effectively covered all the bases.
Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks have teamed up as a formidable opening combination to start the game. Reza Henricks improved his craft after a dismal series against India with just 27 runs in three innings to secure 180 runs at a strike rate of 156.52 in the three games against England, despite the fact that the former hasn’t been in great form, scoring just 53 runs in his six games against India and England.
After an absence of nearly seven years, Rilee Rossouw returned to the Proteas and amassed 131 runs in three games against England with a strike rate of 170.13. A significant partnership for South Africa came from his 61-ball 87-run partnership with Aiden Markram, who scored 51 runs in 36 balls in his single series innings.
They still have back-up players like Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klassen, who carried South Africa against India on his own shoulders. Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s regular T20I captain, is waiting in the mix and may be the name few have forgotten. Temba Bavuma was forced to withdraw from the series due to an injury.
Dependable all-arounders for a powerful team
One of the most important factors for any team to succeed is having good all-rounders. In the shortest format, the players coming in at number six or seven who can hit the ball far, in addition to being able to bowl those crucial two or three overs, make a huge impact.
Andile Phehlukwayo has been performing this duty for South Africa for a very long time, but he also has a fantastic backup option in Dwaine Pretorius, who has occasionally performed admirably in this area.
The Bowling Unit of South Africa looks Stronger than ever
With Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj as its two to three pacers and two spinners, South Africa always has six bowling options available. Aiden Markram can chip in with a few overs as well, if necessary, to provide further cushion. These factors work together to maintain the optimal balance in the squad.
Ngidi, Rabada, to Shamsi Maharaj South Africa’s bowling unit is functioning optimally thanks to an ethical balance between pace and spin.
Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Anrich Nortje make up the pace attack, while Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, currently the second-ranked T20I bowlers, make up the spin unit.
Speaking of spinners, Keshav Maharaj is a unique bowler who slows down the opposition’s early batting rather than always going for wickets. Then there is Tabraiz Shamsi, who demonstrated that even after a forgettable performance, he could still make a comeback in the series.
South Africa is the real deal in World Cup 2022
The South African bowling team is made up of a left-arm spinner and a left-arm Chinese bowler. They are now a team to beat in the T20 World Cup in Australia in October because of all these factors, including the batters and all-rounders.
A three-match T20I series between South Africa and India will begin on September 28 at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. From there, they will take a flight to Australia for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, which begins on October 24 in Hobart.
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