Virat Kohli out of T20I decider against South Africa with stiff back

File photo of India captain Virat Kohli (PTI)

New Delhi: In a setback to India, captain Virat Kohli was ruled out of the third and decisive T20I against South Africa in Cape Town on Saturday with a stiff back. 

Rohit Sharma assumed captaincy duty as India aimed to win their second trophy on the tour after claiming the ODI series 5-1. The three-match T20I series is locked at 1-1.

Kohli was replaced by Dinesh Karthik.

Meanwhile, South Africa skipper JP Duminy won the toss and decided to bowl at the Newlands Stadium. 

The visitors also dropped leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and replaced him with left-arm spinner Axar Patel. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah also returned to the eleven in place of Jaydev Unadkat. 

South Africa also made two changes as they replaced JJ Smuts and Dane Patterson with Christiaan Jonker, who will make his debut, and Aaron Phangiso.

Playing XIs 

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur

South Africa: JP Duminy (c), Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Farhaan Behardien, Christiaan Jonker, Andile Phehlukwayo, Aaron Phangiso, Chris Morris, Junior Dala, Tabraiz Shamsi 

(With PTI inputs)