The three-match series will begin on October 28 in Rawalpindi.
After levelling the two-match series 1-1, Pakistan will host South Africa for three T20Is and ODIs. The first PAK vs SA T20I will unfold on October 28 in Rawalpindi, followed by two back-to-back games in Lahore on October 31 and November 1. Fans must be keen to keep an eye on at least five of the below-listed players for their sensational form, or the lack thereof. Some of the names include captains Salman Agha and Donovan Ferreira.
Let’s look at each player in detail, especially as the IPL 2026 auction is also fast-approaching for the players from South Africa.
Despite senior players in the squad, the 27-year-old Donovan Ferreira is named as the captain of South Africa for this series. His first assignment against Namibia, however, ended on a losing note. In eight T20I appearances, Ferreira has yet to hit his maiden half-century or notable totals. But he is at the top of our list for his blazing strike rate. Batting at lower middle order, his strikes at 177+.
In his last three games, he has smashed two explosive knocks of 23 (11) and 25 not out (11) against England. He also won a Player of the Match award for his exploits with the bat. He can roll his arm too, but hasn’t been lucky with scalping wickets yet. Plus, he can chip in as a wicket-keeper. Is there a cricketing duty he can’t fulfil? The answer’s probably no.
Dewald Bevis is another promising power-striker from South Africa. At the age of 22, Brevis has taken part in 12 matches, making 345 runs at a whopping strike rate of 193. He already has a hundred and fifty under his belt in this format, both on Australian soil. Though his performances in England weren’t the best, the middle-order batter has rarely been out of form. He can also step into the role of the finisher while batting lower down the order.
Brevis has dominated in the T20 leagues across the globe. In the Vitality Blast, the right-handed batter amassed 166 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 180s. His average was even better in the IPL 2025 with 225 runs in six matches at a similar strike rate. Brevis is expected to carry forward his form in the subcontinent when the two sides meet in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
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Salman Agha led Pakistan in the recent Asia Cup 2025 as well, winning four out of six matches before losing the Final against India. Talking about his form, the 31-year-old has made 511 runs in 25 matches this year. His yearly stat includes four fifties as well. Salman made his international debut in Tests and ODIs in 2022, but he had to wait two more years for his first match in the shortest format. And the reason is justified by his lack of consistency.
Overall in his T20I career, Salman Agha has an average of less than 24 and an unsuitable strike rate of 110. While his Test returns are comparatively promising, he is not the best-suited player for the T20 format. In the two Tests against South Africa, he returned with scores of 28, 45, 93, and four. Since Pakistan are known to frequently change their captains when results don’t go their way, this series is crucial for Salman Agha, both as a batter and as a leader.
South Africa’s Quinton de Kock is another player whose participation in various leagues could come under scrutiny. In 92 T20Is overall, the gloveman is just 15 shy of 2,600 runs. But the 31-year-old’s form is a big issue. In the Namibia T20I, QDK returned with one run. While in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the Barbados Royals’s batter made 208 runs in nine innings at a strike rate lower than 120. He made two half-centuries too.
Apart from international matches, de Kock would be fearing his retention with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the IPL 2026. QDK made 152 runs in eight matches in the last season, while 97 runs came in a single outing. His stats for the rest of the seven matches are abysmal for a batter like Quinton de Kock, who is known to take the bowlers for the cleaners. But he’s clever to use this series as an opportunity to stamp his authority in the subcontinent and send a message to the KKR staff.
In the reverse series, when Pakistan toured South Africa in December last year, George Linde took the wicket of former captain Babar Azam. The thumbnail is of the same moment. In that series, he took five wickets, including his first four-wicket haul, which earned him the Player of the Match trophy. The 33-year-old would like to take on the Pakistani batters once again.
George Linde’s T20I tally is 24 wickets from 22 games. His economy rate of 7.39 is quite good, given the aggressive batting in the format. Coming to the subcontinent conditions, this will be Linde’s first T20I tour. It would be exciting to watch the left-armer bowl on spin-friendly tracks.
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