South Africa will play India for the first of the four-match T20I series today (November 8) in Durban. Here's Wisden's pick of the betting odds for the game.

 

 

South Africa v India 1st T20I: Who will win?

When India toured South Africa in December last year, the series was tied 1-1 after a washed-out curtain-raiser. Their most recent battle came in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, a see-saw contest that had its ebbs and flows until the very end. India eventually held their nerves to end their prolonged trophy drought in ICC tournaments.

Months after the epic clash, there’s nothing to separate the two sides regarding the odds of winning the match. Batery offers a 1.90 return on every pound betted for either side’s victory.

SA v IND 1st T20I: Which team will have the highest opening partnership?

Since 2023, Reeza Hendricks has scored the joint-most (6) half-centuries as an opener among Full Members alongside Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan. With Hendricks at the top, South Africa are expected to cash in on the powerplay overs. On the other hand, India, in the absence of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is touring Australia, will continue with their new pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.

South Africa's openers, priced at 1.80 on Batery, have a better chance of succeeding compared to India's, offering a return of 2.00 for every pound spent on Batery.

South Africa v India 1st T20I: Which side will hit most fours and sixes?

When it comes to hitting boundaries, both sides have enough firepower. The trio of Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller can decimate any side on their day, while India have Abhishek, who has revolutionised the art of opening in the format, alongside Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh, the team’s designated finisher. When it comes to odds of hitting fours, both are evenly matched at 2.00 on Batery, while South Africa’s odds of hitting sixes are slightly higher (2.05) compared to India’s, priced at 2.03.

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