Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, who have performed brilliantly in the three-match T20I against South Africa so far, have been rested for the inconsequential third game at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Tuesday. 

The third T20I is the last one the Men in Blue play before the T20 World Cup 2022, which starts on October 16 in Australia. 

Also read: Jasprit Bumrah opens up on injury, T20 World Cup miss

“Yes, both Virat and Rahul have been rested from the final T20I,” a BCCI official told PTI. 

The team will leave for Australia on October 6 from Mumbai. 

With Rahul rested, Rishabh Pant or Suryakumar Yadav are expected to open alongside skipper Rohit Sharma. Shreyas Iyer might come in for Kohli. 

Surya will continue to be in focus. The No 4 batter has been impressive for several months now. His ability to hit all around the park and score regular boundaries is something Rohit would rely on. The team opens their World Cup campaign against Pakistan on October 23. 

Also read: India vs South 3rd T20I: Records, stats and pitch report

Jasprit Bumrah’s absence has compounded India’s bowling woes, especially in the death overs, but the team needs to find a way if the star pacer doesn’t get fit in time for the ICC event.

Deepak Chahar, who is among World Cup reserves, has been impressive with the new ball but question marks remain over his efficacy towards the back end of the innings.

Arshdeep Singh has made an impact both with new and old ball but was unusually expensive on Sunday. Having bowled as many as three no balls, it was a forgettable night for the left-arm pacer who would be eager to bounce back.

Also read: ‘Selfless’ Kohli unbeaten at 49, asks Karthik to keep strike vs SA

The variations that Harshal Patel relies on to keep the batters in check have not been producing the desired results since his return from injury

Teams (from) India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Umesh Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Shahbaz Ahmed and Mohammad Siraj.

Also Read: Mukesh Kumar, Rajat Patidar get India call-up in South Africa ODI series

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (captain), Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs.

Match starts 7 pm IST.