Sports: The first match of the five-match T20 series between India and South Africa is being held at the prestigious Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. South African captain Aiden Markram has won the toss and opted to bowl first, which will give the Indian team a chance to bat first.

Sanju Samson’s absence

Experienced wicketkeeper batsman Sanju Samson has not got a place in the playing-11 in the first T20 match against South Africa. Whereas Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya have returned to the team, who were out recently due to injury.

India’s playing-11

The Indian team includes: Abhishek Sharma, Shubhman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Verma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dubey, Jitesh Sharma, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy and Arshdeep Singh.

South Africa’s playing-11

The South African squad is: Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram (captain), Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brewis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Janssen, Keshav Maharaj, Lutho Sipamla, Lungi Ngidi and Enrique Norkia.

chance of dew

There is every possibility of dew in the evening, which was also important in the previous ODI series. Both teams chose to bowl first after winning the toss, and this trend is likely to continue in the T20s as well.

Barabati Stadium pitch report

The pitch of Barabati Stadium this time is made of red soil, which generally gives the batsmen the opportunity to play shots freely with good bounce. Experts believe that this match can be high scoring, and this pitch is being considered as a paradise for batsmen.

Captain Surya’s statement on the pitch

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav expressed his opinion about the pitch in a conversation with the media. “I like the black soil pitch more, but this one will also play well,” he said. This means that this is a positive sign for the batsmen, while the bowlers will have to work harder. Spinners may get some help in the evening, while fast bowlers will get the benefit of swing and bounce in the early stages.