Ishan Kishan again showed why he deserved the India team call-up for the T20 World Cup as the hosts posted a 30-run win against South Africa in the warm-up game in Navi Mumbai. India posted 240/5, riding high on the contribution by the top order.
Replacing Sanju Samson at the top of the order, Kishan came to the centre with Abhishek Sharma and went on to hammer a 20-ball 53, studded with seven sixes and two boundaries, before retiring out. He was not the only player to watch out for this evening. Tilak Varma, who returned to action from an injury break on Monday, came to bat at No. 3 and stamped his authority with a 19-ball 45. The powerful comeback of both these batters is a positive sign for India in terms of adding to their top-order firepower.
Sharma looked uncomfortable and called upon the team physiotherapist twice before retiring back to the pavilion. However, Kishan covered up for him by leading the team to 80 in the first six overs. His fierce attack against the Proteas bowlers is enough to seal his berth as the opener for the World Cup. Kishan smashed pacer Anrich Nortje for four sixes and a four in the fifth over.
As he completed his 50, he left the crease making way for Varma. The left-hander, whose first game back was for India A on Monday, smashed three sixes and three fours before being cleaned up by Marco Jansen.
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav posted 30 off 16 balls. His deputy Axar Patel hit a 23-ball 35 but it was Hardik Pandya who lived up to his true potential and posted a 10-ball 30 with three sixes and two fours.
The side then experimented by using nine bowlers, restricting SA to 210 in 20 overs. In the absence of key bowler Jasprit Bumrah, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh bowled a full spell of four overs conceding 29 and taking one wicket, while Pandya bowled two without any wicket and conceding 28. Shivam Dube, Patel, Abhishek and Varun Chakravarthy accounted for one wicket each.
Brief scores: India: 240/5 (Kishan 53, Tilak 45; Jansen 1/18); South Africa: 210/7 (Stubbs 45*, Rickelton 44, Markram 38; Abhishek 2/32)
