Tilak Varma's explosive 107 off 56 balls propelled India to a total of 219/6 in the third T20I against South Africa, with support from Abhishek Sharma's quickfire 50. Despite early struggles for India, Varma's heroics and newcomer Ramandeep Singh's debut effort led the team to victory and tied the series at 1-1. Don't miss the exciting cricket action, live on Manorama Online App.
On the tour of South Africa, middle-order batsman and medium-pace bowler Ramandeep Singh was rewarded with his maiden call-up to the Indian T20I squad. After being on the bench for the first two matches, he finally got to make his T20I debut in the third game at Centurion. Ramandeep's impressive performances in domestic and IPL cricket earned him a spot in the national team's lineup. His power-hitting lower down the order for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024 caught the attention of selectors and led to him being retained for the IPL 2025 season for a whopping INR 4 crores.
In the first T20I match against South Africa, Sanju Samson displayed his true potential as an explosive batsman by hitting back-to-back centuries, becoming the first Indian to do so in T20 Internationals. His 50-ball-107 and spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi's brilliant spells led India to a 61-run victory and a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. The duo's 27 dot balls and constant pressure on the South African batters ensured an easy win for India on a good batting track.
India's T20I skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, has taken over the reins from Rohit Sharma and has implemented his mentor's teachings while adding his own twist to them. Yadav shares details of Rohit's leadership qualities and how he spends time with his teammates to build a strong bond. He believes in treating his players with respect and understanding their psyche to extract the best out of them, just like Rohit.