“He is pretty street-wise when it comes to his plans and adapting to conditions,” said Aiden Markram about Mpongwana
South Africa is set to host India for a four-game T20I series, with the first game scheduled to be played on November 8. The squads of both teams have been released by the respective country’s cricket governing bodies, and both sides have included two uncapped players.
From India, Ramandeep Singh and Vijaykumar Vyshak have received their maiden calls for the four-game series. Given that they were both breakout stars of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Indian cricket enthusiasts are aware of their performances, skills, and form. However, not much is known about Andile Simelane and Mihlali Mpongwana, the two uncapped players in the Proteas lineup.
Aged 24, Mihlali Mpongwana was part of South Africa’s Test tour to New Zealand but could not make it to the playing XI. However, his domestic performances were strong enough to get him a place in the squad. In South Africa’s domestic provincial one-day tournament, he picked up 12 wickets in seven games and also scored a century from the West Province in the final of that tournament.
In the recently concluded CSA T20 Challenge, he was the joint-second-leading wicket-taker with 12 wickets, which is the reason why he has been chosen for the T20I games against India. He is expected to give support to the Proteas bowling attack, which will heavily rely on Marco Jensen and Gerald Coetzee.
Alongside Mihlali Mpongwana, Andile Simelane has also received a maiden call in the T20I series against India. Simelane made his List A debut in 2020 for KwaZulu-Natal Inland in the CSA Provincial One Day Challenge. In his debut game, he impressed his team and left the opponent shocked by grabbing three wickets in four overs. 2022 saw him getting selected for the U19 World Cup, where he took four wickets in six games before the Proteas were knocked out in the quarterfinal by England.
In the 2024 SA20, Simelane was picked up by Sunrisers Eastern Cape but did not play a single game. Overall, he has played 53 professional games and grabbed 46 wickets, out of which 21 were T20I wickets. This year, Simelane was also selected for the ODI and T20I tour against Afghanistan, but the presence of star bowlers did not allow him to be a part of the starting XI.
Therefore, the upcoming series against India could be his chance to prove his worth and solidify his place in the team for future considerations, given players such as Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, or Anrich Nortje have not been included in the squad citing different reasons.
The first T20I match begins on November 8 at 8:00 p.m. IST, followed by the second on November 10, the third on November 13, and the fourth and final game to be played on November 15.
