India will take on South Africa in the final T20I which will be played today at Holkar Stadium in Indore. After regaining top form in the build-up to the ICC T20 World Cup, former captain Virat Kohli has been rested for the third T20I as India has an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The decision has been taken considering Kohli’s workload management in mind.

The team management feels the star batter needs to be in the best of spirits when Men in blue begin their World Cup campaign against Pakistan at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 23. The top-order batter has featured in all of India’s matches since the 2022 Asia Cup. The Indian think tank has given a breather to Kohli, and most likely Shreyas Iyer will be in the playing XI, filling the No. 3 spot.

A senior BCCI official said Kohli has played back-to-back matches. He stated that with the T20 World Cup starting later this month, they want Virat to be fresh mentally and physically. The official concluded that India has already won the series against the Proteas, and it is better to give Kohli a break so someone else can be handed a game ahead of him.

Rahul is also expected to be given a break. After coming back from injury in August, Rahul started off slowly but now seems to have gotten back into the groove having struck four half-centuries in six innings, including back-to-back fifties in the two T20Is against South Africa.