Sunday’s first T20I between India and South Africa at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala was washed out without a ball bowled.

The fixture was cancelled a mere 50 minutes after the scheduled start, as torrential rain continued to fall in Dharamsala.

The tourists have named a relatively new-look squad for this three-match series. While batsman Hashim Amla and JP Duminy have retired, captain Faf du Plessis, leg-spinner Imran Tahir and fast bowler Dale Steyn were not selected.

‘It’s really exciting and there are a lot of things to look forward to. It is a young side, but there are a lot of guys who have played a lot of cricket, so the guys are experienced in each department,’ said batsman David Miller earlier this week.

‘It’s just a great stepping stone. We come here to win, and we are looking forward to making a mark. There is a new phasing in South African cricket at the moment and it’s exciting times.

‘We’ve been training really hard for the last 10 days and I think everyone is really eager to get the games going and test ourselves.’

The Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali will host the second match on Wednesday. The third will be played at the MChinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday.

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