Men in Blue’s ongoing tour against South Africa started on a disappointing note as the first T20I got abandoned due to rain in Durban on Sunday. The second T20I match will be played on December 12, Tuesday at Gqeberha. India’s young and energetic guns led by T20 specialist batter Suryakumar Yadav will look for a perfect start. Following the T20Is and three-match ODI series, both teams will compete in a two-match Test series, with skipper Rohit Sharma, star batter Virat Kohli, and senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah joining the squad.

As preparations for the series heat up, veteran Proteas all-rounder Jacques Kallis has claimed that Kohli’s form and understanding of South African conditions will be critical to India’s success in the Tests. I am sure he will want to have a big series here in South Africa. He has been in good form. He will play a major role in helping India. If they are to win here, he will have to have a good series, Kallis said.

Kohli is a massive player, no matter where it is. Having played here quite a bit and had a fair amount of success. He’ll be able to pass that knowledge on to the other players, especially the younger players, and give them ideas on how to manage these conditions and then what to expect, Kallis added.
Kohli is in supreme form, having scored 765 runs in the ODI World Cup to earn Player of the Tournament honors. Kohli also scored 932 runs in 30 innings to become India’s leading run-scorer during the previous WTC cycle. This is a good Indian team but South Africa is tough to beat in their backyard. It will be a good series and a closely fought contest, Kallis concluded.