Five Indian players to watch out for in T20I series against South Africa

On that road, India will host South Africa for a five-match T20I series beginning June 9. The first match of the series, to be held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, will offer the Indian team a chance to chase a 13-match winning streak in T20Is. Currently, India are level with Afghanistan and Romania for most consecutive wins in T20Is at 12.

Read AlsoIndia vs South Africa squad: KL Rahul to lead India; Umran, Arshdeep get maiden call-ups

Young pace sensations Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh have been rewarded for their outstanding IPL performances as they were selected for the upcoming five-match T20I home series against South Africa.

India have opted to rest their main players Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, with KL Rahul leading the 18-member side and Rishabh Pant serving as his deputy. With newbies and veteran players in the mix, here are five Indian players to watch out for in the series against South Africa: Hardik Pandya

(Photo by Surjeet Yadav/Getty Images)Hardik Pandya dished out a fitting response to his critics when he delivered a highly-influential all-round display in the IPL 2022 final against Rajasthan Royals, taking 3/17 with the ball and making a patient 34 with the bat. The Gujarat Titans skipper was surrounded with concerns about his fitness, especially bowling. But Pandya successfully steered his side to their maiden IPL title in front of his home crowd in Ahmedabad. He wrapped up the season with 487 runs in 15 matches at an average of 44.27, including four half-centuries apart from picking eight wickets. It can't be denied that the spotlight will be on Pandya and his all-round skills in the five-match series. KL Rahul

(TOI Photo)KL Rahul's leadership, together with his batting, earned him