Shubman Gill faces a crucial period with three matches against South Africa to secure his position in India's T20 World Cup squad, while captain
Suryakumar Yadav's form remains a concern.
The third T20I match of the five-game series, currently tied 1-1, will be played on Sunday in cold conditions at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
The South African pace attack, including Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Ottniel Baartman, and Lutho Sipamla, has demonstrated effectiveness on Indian pitches. The Dharamsala track is expected to offer extra bounce and movement.
With only eight games remaining before the T20 World Cup, head coach Gautam Gambhir faces pressure regarding the team's top-order batting performance. While Suryakumar Yadav's position appears secure despite his poor form, Gill's place remains uncertain.
South Africa's team composition appears well-balanced for the upcoming World Cup in the Indian subcontinent. Their batting lineup includes Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Donovan Ferreira, David Miller, and Marco Jansen.
Gill's inclusion in the T20 setup came at the expense of Sanju Samson, who was dropped after one disappointing series against England. Gill now needs strong performances to justify his selection.
The team management's decision to send Axar Patel as one-down batter in the second T20I has been questioned. The captain is expected to return to his successful number three position in the upcoming match.
The decision to bat Shivam Dube at number eight due to batting order changes is also likely to be reconsidered for the next game.
Kuldeep Yadav, despite his success against South African batters, might not find a place in the playing eleven. The team's requirement for batting depth makes it difficult to include both Kuldeep and Varun Chakravarthy in the same match.
The team management faces a decision regarding Kuldeep's inclusion, potentially with Hardik Pandya sharing new ball duties with Jasprit Bumrah. Arshdeep Singh's performance in the series has been below par.
The Indian squad includes Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, NT Tilak Verma, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar.
South Africa's team consists of Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Lutho Sipamla, Ottniel Baartman, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, and George Linde.
The match is scheduled to begin at 7 pm in Dharamsala, where temperatures are expected to be below 10 degrees in the shadow of the Dhauladhar mountain range.