The T20I series against South Africa is a chance for a few Indian cricketers to make a case for themselves ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. With less than a fortnight remaining for the mega action to be held on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, time is money for the players. The squad has four players; Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Jitesh Sharma and Vijaykumar Vyshak, who weren’t retained earlier.
The test character for all four starts on Friday, November 8, at the Kingsmead in Durban where Yuvraj Singh once ripped the heart out of Stuart Broad with half a dozen sixes in an over during the inaugural T20 World Cup.
The focus will be on Arshdeep Singh, who was mysteriously not retained by the Punjab Kings (PBKS). It raised eyebrows even more when one notices that he is only 10 wickets short of becoming India’s top wicket-taker in Men’s T20Is.
Fast bowler Avesh Khan will also have a point to prove after being released by the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Having played in the IPL since 2017 after he was a part of the Indian team that finished as the runners-up in the U19 World Cup in South Africa, Avesh has the required experience.
Avesh also knows what it’s like to don the national colours. In eight ODIs and 23 T20Is, the speedster has accounted for 34 scalps with two four-wicket hauls to show for his efforts.
Can Jitesh, Vyshak make a mark?
Jitesh has already played nine T20Is for India, but with a top score of 35, he is yet to make a name for himself amongst the big boys of international cricket. Even in the IPL, Jitesh is yet to hit a half-century, having played 40 matches for the Punjab Kings since 2022.
Vyshak, on the other hand, is getting his first taste of international cricket. He was a part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the previous two seasons, where he took 13 wickets from 11 matches.
Among the four players, Arshdeep, Jitesh and Avesh already have the experience of playing international cricket on South African soil. But it’s Vyshak for whom the challenge awaits. The series could end up playing a big part in how much the four players end up bagging in the auction.
