Samson, Kuldeep Benched for 1st SA T20I: India's Tactical Shift

• Sanju Samson and Kuldeep Yadav were dropped from India's playing XI for the 1st T20I against South Africa due to tactical reasons, not injuries.
• Kuldeep Yadav was likely excluded due to his modest batting ability and the team's decision to play only one specialist spinner, Varun Chakaravarthy.
• Another potential reason for Kuldeep's exclusion is the team's expectation that dew will play a significant role in the match.
• Sanju Samson, initially an opener, was pushed to the middle-order after Shubman Gill's return and was eventually replaced by Jitesh Sharma as the middle-order keeper.
• Captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed both Samson and Kuldeep are still part of the team's plans and are considered assets for their versatility.

Why It Matters: This signals a major shift in India's T20 World Cup strategy.