IND vs SA | 2nd T20I | Quinton de Kock benched due to injury, Klaasen gets promotion

The second of the five-match T20I series between India and South Africa went underway at Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium this evening (on Sunday). Despite a barbaric beatdown of the hosts by South Africa in the first match, the Proteas were forced to make a couple of changes ahead of the second game.

South African captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and elected to field first. After the toss, the visiting skipper stated that their regular wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock will be benched from the game, following a hand injury, he stated.

South Africa’s reserve keeper Heinrich Klaasen has been added to the playing XI instead. The Pretoria-based cricketer has already represented his national side across 28 T20Is and holds a pedigree of scoring handy runs in the middle overs.

Additionally, Tristan Stubbs, who made his international debut in the previous game, was also ruled out of the playing XI for the hosts due to an injury. 

The 21-year-old has kept wickets in domestic cricket and could possibly have been de Kock’s replacement as a glovesman. However, opening batter Reeza Hendricks has been inducted back into the XI in favour of Stubbs.

After losing the toss for the second time this series, the Men in Blue lost opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad in the first over of their innings. Ishan Kishan, who scored a cracking 76 in the previous outing, provided another blazing start for the hosts with his 21-ball 34. 

At the time of publishing, Team India reached 68-3 off 9.1 overs. Maestro all-rounder Hardik Pandya has just arrived at the crease and is batting alongside number 3 Shreyas Iyer.