IND vs SA 2022 | South Africa's bowling works perfectly for KL Rahul, will have a good series, reckons Ajay Jadeja

India is all set to embark upon their final bilateral T20I outing ahead of next month's World T20 Down Under with a three-match series against South Africa starting on September 28 in Thiruvananthapuram. The two teams are scheduled to meet in the marquee event as well on October 30 in Perth having been placed in Group 2 alongside Bangladesh, Pakistan, and two qualifiers. The Proteas have been in great form since the world event last year as they held India to a 2-2 draw earlier in the year in the subcontinent before defeating England and Ireland on a tour of the United Kingdom. 

“South Africa is a team that could surprise a lot of teams in the World Cup and unfortunately, they are in our pool,” former Indian international Ajay Jadeja was quoted as saying on Cricbuzz.

The three matches will serve as a crucial litmus test for several Indian players as their lineup seemingly continues to hang in the balance. Most importantly, the Men in Blue will be hoping for their opener KL Rahul to get in form following a series of sub-par performances since returning from injury in July. The 30-year-old has managed just 198 runs in eight T20Is averaging lower than 25. However, Jadeja believes the stage is set for him to perform finally considering the matchups against the African outfit.

“I think KL Rahul is someone to watch out for and will have a good series. South Africa’s bowling works perfectly for him. He didn’t have as good a series as he would have wanted against Australia,” he stated.

Another selection conundrum for the hosts lies in the spin department, with Ravichandran Ashwin a part of the World Cup squad but having sparing game time of late. He has featured in just five from a possible of 23 encounters this year. 

“I also hope Ravi Ashwin plays because he is a man that I will watch out for. He could make a difference from India’s point of view,” Jadeja concluded.