"You can use him like Bumrah is used by the Indian team" - Irfan Pathan on Kagiso Rabada being a threat for Team India in the T20I series vs SA

Irfan Pathan believes South Africa can use Kagiso Rabada in the T20I series against Team India in the manner in which the Men in Blue utilize Jasprit Bumrah's services.

The Indian team will face the Proteas in a five-match T20I series, with the first encounter to be played in Delhi on June 9. Rabada is among a host of players in the South African squad who plied their trade in the recently concluded IPL 2022.

During an interaction on the Star Sports show 'Game Plan', Pathan was asked if Rabada would be the leader of the South African pace attack considering his experience in Indian conditions. He replied:

"Absolutely, there is no second opinion about that. His IPL has been very good, he is in form as well. He has regained the form he had lost a little. He is an extremely quality bowler, he will give you overs in the powerplay and bowl yorkers at the death. You can use him like Bumrah is used by the Indian team."

The former India all-rounder reckons the Proteas speedster will pose a huge challenge to the hosts' batting lineup. Pathan reasoned:

"He has the pace and the pitched-up deliveries that he bowls are extremely fast and you get a lot of wickets on Indian pitches if you bowl the fuller deliveries fast. So, he is a very big threat."

Rabada has scalped four wickets in as many T20Is he has played against Team India to date. All these games were played on Indian soil, with 3/39 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru being his best figures.

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"They have seen a lot of him even in IPL cricket" - Ravi Shastri on Kagiso Rabada being a threat for Team India

Kagiso Rabada played for the Punjab Kings in IPL 2022 [P/C: iplt20.com]

Ravi Shastri was also asked how big a threat Rabada will be for Team India. He responded:

"I don't think as much as it was say 2-3 years ago because people have seen him. They have seen a lot of him even in IPL cricket. What will be interesting to see is how fresh he is, if he is tired then the effect he has on the Indian batting lineup won't be the same."

While acknowledging that Rabada will put in his best, the former Team India head coach feels he is unlikely to bother the Indian batters a lot. Shastri observed:

"But experience-wise he has got all the goods. He will dish it out there but as opposed to years gone by, I don't think that much of a threat."

Rabada is heading into the India-South Africa T20I series on the back of a rather successful IPL 2022 for the Punjab Kings. The Proteas pacer was the third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 23 scalps to his credit.

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