India vs South Africa, 1st T20: Five key battles you cannot afford to miss

India's Test captain Virat Kohli has been a vital cog in India's batting line-up. The right-handed batsman has established himself as one of the most accomplished strokeplayers all round the wicket. However, the Indian batsman has struggled to score runs in the shorter version of the game. In his last five ODI innings, Kohli has managed to score a mere 53 runs.

India will be counting on Kohli to anchor and accelerate their innings against the Proteas. And, that is exactly why the visitors will be counting on their seam bowler Morne Morkel to get rid of him. Morkel's ability to gain a natural bounce at quick speed has troubled the opposition batsmen in the past. The right-arm bowler, who boasts of 169 ODI wickets and another 45 in T20s, will be looking to bowl the back of the length deliveries outside the off-stump - an area where Kohli has failed miserably to score runs.

Ravichandran Ashwin has established himself as India's frontline spinner in a relatively short span of time. The off-spinner was pivotal in India's historic 2-1 Test series win in Sri Lanka, which also earned him the Man of the Series award. Once again, the onus will be on Ashwin to provide crucial breakthroughs to India in the upcoming series.

However, Ashwin's biggest battle will be against AB de Villiers, a batsman of breathtaking chutzpah and enterprise. De Villiers, who has amassed over 8,000 ODI runs and another 1,097 in T20s, is the backbone of the South African middle-order. His ability to accelerate the scoring rate amid immense pressure has made him a match-winner for the Proteas in recent times. The battle between Ashwin and De Villiers will undoubtedly be the highlight of the series.

An elegant strokeplayer blessed with a temperament to make the most of his talent, Hashim Amla has been a run-machine for the Proteas ever since his debut in 2004. The right-handed batsman, who has scored over 5,500 ODI runs and another 662 in T20s, will be one of the key players for his side going into the series. The Proteas will be counting on Amla for solid starts early in the game to build on their innings against India.

The visitors will be wary of Amla's batting prowess and will need their frontline bowlers to get rid of him as soon as possible. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the one Indian seamer whose change in pace and cunning variations in length can get the better of an experienced candidate as Amla. The right-arm bowler might not be able to generate serious pace, but he adequately makes up for it with an impeccable control of his swing.

Apart from a strong batting line-up, South Africa boasts of a lethal weapon in their frontline spinner Imran Tahir. The 36-year-old leg-spinner will find adequate assistance from the Indian conditions and pitches, expected to support spin bowling. With 77 ODI wickets and 25 scalps in the T20s, Tahir will be expected to give the Indian middle-order a run for their money.

But, Tahir's greatest challenge will be against Indian middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane who has been a master of tackling spin bowling, especially in home conditions. Ever since his debut in 2011, Rahane has been an integral part of the Indian middle-order. India will rely on Rahane to counter Tahir's spin and make valuable contributions to his side in the upcoming series.

India's ODI skipper MS Dhoni, who has quit Tests, is back in the side after three months. The last time he represented India was against Bangladesh, where his side slumped to a 1-2 ODI series defeat. Dhoni, who has 26 wins and 21 losses out of 49 T20 games as skipper, will be eager to improve his record as the Indian captain in the upcoming series.

However, Dhoni will have to be at his prolific best if he intends to outwit the opposition led by Faf du Plessis who has led his side to 11 wins and 9 losses out of the 20 T20 matches as captain. The dynamic right-handed batsman had to cope with a 0-2 series defeat to the West Indians on home soil earlier this year.

Between the two captains, Dhoni is obviously more experienced, both internationally as well as in the franchise-based leagues. But, the win/loss ratio for both the skippers, is more or less the same.