IND vs SA 5th T20I: Team India's Sky needs one final flourish

That India cannot lose the series should be comforting to embattled head coach Gautam Gambhir given that the other two leaders in the camp — skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill — are battling challenges of their own with less than two months to go for the T20I World Cup.

For someone who was ranked World No. 1 not so long ago, Suryakumar’s form has sharply nosedived in the only format he is assured a place in the XI for India.
Adding to it is the Gill conundrum. His return as vice-captain in the T20I format might have been perceived as one which put Suryakumar on notice a few months ago, but the former’s ordinary run with the bat since his comeback and the latest injury setback only hampers the team’s cause.

A toe injury suffered before the fourth T20I is likely to keep Gill out of the final T20I here as India would want to take a cautious route, more so when there is a ready replacement for the top order slot in Sanju Samson.

Earlier, Gill had missed most of the two-Test affair following an injury to his neck, which he suffered in the series-opener in Kolkata.

For South Africa, who have blown hot and cold particularly with the bat in the T20I series, Friday’s contest will be an opportunity to end with the satisfaction of drawing a series against India.

Zero
No. of T20I half-tons for Suryakumar Yadav so far this year. It’s a first for him in a calendar year since making his debut in March 2021

14.20
Suryakumar Yadav’s average this year in 20 T20Is, well below his career average of 35.67

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