South Africa Announce Squad For India T20Is, Mumbai Indians Youngster Gets Maiden Call-Up

South Africa announced its squad for the upcoming T20I tour of India with limited overs captain Temba Bavuma looking to lead the side to glory, in what will be an important tour for the Proteas in yet another World Cup year. This will be South Africa’s first T20I tournament since narrowly missing out on qualifying for the semi-finals at the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. South Africa and India have also been grouped together along with Pakistan and Bangladesh for the Super 12 stage of the upcoming 2022 ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played in Australia.

The five-match series across five venues in India will be played from 9 to 19 June. Tristan Stubbs has received his maiden Proteas call-up ahead of the highly anticipated contest.

“The 21-year-old, right-hand, middle order batter, who impressed this past season while playing for the Gbets Warriors in the Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 Challenge, scored 293 runs in seven innings, at an average of 48.83 and a strike rate of 183.12, including 23 sixes. He was also part of the South Africa ‘A’ team to Zimbabwe before he was called up to the Mumbai Indians camp for the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL),” Cricket South Africa said in an official release.

“Other notable selections include the exciting return of fast bowler, Anrich Nortje who has been recovering from injury since December 2021 and batters, Reeza Hendricks and Heinrich Klaasen. Nortje has been medically cleared for action and is currently working through his return to play programme while playing for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL,” the release further added.

Veteran all-rounder Wayne Parnell also makes a welcome return to the T20 set up for the first time since the team’s tour to England in 2017.

“This is the Proteas like we have not seen them in a long time,” commented CSA Convenor of Selectors, Victor Mpitsang. “The injection of the IPL players means that we will have a team that’s ready to fire on all cylinders immediately and has vast experience of the conditions that we will be playing in.

“Tristan Stubbs is an exciting prospect and we’re keen to see what he’s made of and we are looking forward to the return of the experience of Reeza (Hendricks), Klaasie (Heinrich Klaasen) and Wayne Parnell to join the likes of Temba (Bavuma), Tabraiz (Shamsi) and Keshav (Maharaj).

“The country can also join us in a collective sigh of relief at the return of Anrich Nortje, who has been working hard to recover from a frustrating injury. The National Selection Panel and I are really excited to watch our full strength Proteas take on the world’s number one T20 team.

“We wish Temba Bavuma and Mark Boucher all the best ahead of what we know will be sportainment at its best,” Mpitsang concluded.

Proteas T20 team vs India

Temba Bavuma (captain, Imperial Lions), Quinton de Kock (Momentum Multiply Titans), Reeza Hendricks (Imperial Lions), Heinrich Klaasen (Momentum Multiply Titans), Keshav Maharaj (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Aiden Markram (Momentum Multiply Titans), David Miller (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Lungi Ngidi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Anrich Nortje (Gbets Warriors), Wayne Parnell (Six Gun Grill Western Province), Dwaine Pretorius (North West Dragons), Kagiso Rabada (Imperial Lions), Tabraiz Shamsi (Momentum Multiply Titans), Tristan Stubbs (Gbets Warriors), Rassie van der Dussen (Imperial Lions), Marco Jansen (Gbets Warriors).