India vs South Africa, 3rd T20I: Top 3 Player battles to watch out for

Both the captains, Virat Kohli (L) and Quinton de Kock (R) will be looking to finish the T20I series in a high
Both the captains, Virat Kohli (L) and Quinton de Kock (R) will be looking to finish the T20I series in a high

#3 Rishabh Pant vs Tabraiz Shamsi

Will Rishabh Pant (L) find his form again or will spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (R) continue his good form?
Will Rishabh Pant (L) find his form again or will spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (R) continue his good form?

You might be wondering about this particular battle and why it makes the list. Neither of these players have had a lasting impact on the international circuit as of now. But that is also one of the reasons which could make this contest an interesting one.

Rishabh Pant has received a lot of criticism for his recent abysmal form. After the T20 and Test series against West Indies last month, the form of the Delhi wicketkeeper has not gotten any better.

It is unclear if this is just plain bad luck or his poor choice of shots. A lot of people would say the latter but will the third and final T20I against South Africa see a change in Pant's form?

In the game of cricket, it is quite rare to be a left-arm Chinaman bowler. The 29-year-old Tabraiz Shamsi is one of them.

Having made his debut in T20Is in 2017, Shamsi has been the talk of the town in recent times. Starting his T20I career on a high getting the scalp of Kohli.

With veteran spinner Imran Tahir being at his best form, Shamsi did not get many chances to be part of the Playing XI. His distinct bowling style makes him a dangerous bowler.

Additionally, knowing that Pant is a better player of seam than spin, further adds some spice to the contest. Having scored only 74 runs in his last T20s it has not been smooth sailing for the Delhi wicketkeeper.

While South Africa didn't have a lot of runs to defend in the last game, Shamsi was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-0-19-1, and he has shown promise with the ball.

With all this being said, there is a possibility of Pant redeeming himself in the final T20I and move himself out of this rut or Shamsi could better his performance from the last game and be hungry for the wicket of the wicket-keeper-batsman.

Altogether this battle makes for a nail-biting night.

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Edited by Alan John
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