Ahead of the first T20I against South Africa, India captain Suryakumar Yadav gave honest response, regarding the IPL mega auction!

Aiden Markram recently opened up on reports that the India vs South Africa T20 series is an audition for the IPL auction which is fast approaching, Read more Sports News, Cricket News, T20 Series News at republicworld.

At first glance, the four-match T20I series between India and South Africa, kicking off in Durban on Friday, seems like another bilateral series for both teams to test players in preparation for the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup.

Suryakumar Yadav acknowledged that IPL 2025 auction thoughts exist, but emphasized that India's focus remains on their crucial T20I series against South Africa, where breakout stars will also aim to showcase their international potential.

A four-match Twenty20 series against India comes at an opportune time for South Africa’s cricketers as it provides an additional stage to highlight their skills before the Indian Premier League auction later this month,

To cater to the Indian audience, South Africa have kept the match timings slightly preferable to the Indian Standard Time (IST). Hence, the first, third and fourth T20Is will start at 8:30 pm IST. The second T20I is much better as it will start at 7:30 pm IST.

Players from both sides will have an added incentive to be at their best during the four-match contest as it comes right ahead of the IPL mega auction

South Africa's captain Aiden Markram emphasised that the upcoming T20I series against India won't be viewed as a rematch of the 2024 T20 World Cup final, with no revenge plans in mind as both teams prepare for the November 8 opener.