IND vs SA T20I series: Dale Steyn and Irfan Pathan predict scoreline and identify the highest wicket-taker

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The final leg of South Africa‘s tour of India features a highly anticipated five-match T20 International series, commencing in Cuttack on December 9.

This series follows a closely contested all-format tour, where the Proteas secured the Test series victory, while the hosts clinched the One-Day International series (ODIs) 2-1. India will enter the shortest format contest in red-hot T20I form, having won 13 out of their 15 completed matches this year, including a series win in South Africa last year.

The Suryakumar Yadav–led side is currently ranked No. 1 in the ICC T20I rankings, aiming to build momentum as they defend their crown in the upcoming T20 World Cup. In contrast, the visiting South African side has struggled in T20Is lately, losing six of their last nine completed matches. With both sides fielding a blend of established stars and exciting young talents, the series serves as a crucial platform for T20 World Cup preparations and promises explosive action.

Former cricketing greats Dale Steyn and Irfan Pathan have made their predictions for the five-match T20I series, agreeing on several key individual performers but differing on the final scoreline. Both experts singled out an in-form Indian spinner as the most likely candidate to top the wicket-taking charts.

Both Steyn and Pathan were unanimous in their choice of the highest wicket-taker:

“Former South African pacer Dale Steyn and Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan picked the in-form Varun Chakaravarthy to finish as the leading wicket-taker in the upcoming India-South Africa series (via Star Sports X handle).”

Their faith in the bowler is justified by his stunning record against the visitors and his current form:

“The 34-year-old is currently ranked No. 1 in the T20I bowler rankings. Varun boasts an excellent T20I record against the Proteas, picking up 12 wickets in four matches at an average of 11.50. The veteran spinner has picked up an incredible 43 wickets in 23 T20Is over the last two years.”

The predictions for the final series score were close, reflecting the competitive nature of the teams:

“Meanwhile, Steyn and Pathan also predicted a close 3-2 scoreline for the T20I series. While the former went with the Proteas to edge out the hosts, the latter backed the Men in Blue to come out on top.”

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The experts also turned their attention to the batting side, focusing on an aggressive Indian opener who has been in scintillating form, particularly in terms of strike rate, for the Men in Blue in the shortest format of the game.

Steyn and Pathan again found common ground when selecting the series’ highest run-scorer:

“Dale Steyn and Irfan Pathan made a common pick when it came to the leading run-scorer for the India-South Africa T20I series. Both former players went with the in-form Abhishek Sharma to top the run-scoring charts.”

This prediction is based on the opener’s sensational recent performance:

“The youngster has been in breathtaking T20I form, averaging over 47 at a strike rate of 196.36 in 17 outings. Like Varun Chakaravarthy, Abhishek is atop the ICC T20I rankings among batters.”

However, they noted that the left-hander has struggled historically against the Proteas, averaging under 25 in four T20Is despite maintaining a high strike rate of over 173. Finally, the two cricketing legends differed on who would smash the most maximums in the five games:

“Finally, Steyn and Pathan made their picks for the highest six-hitter in the series. The former went with veteran Proteas left-hander David Miller, while Pathan backed Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav to smash the most maximums in the five T20Is.”

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