Virat Kohli is the fourth-highest run-scorer in the tournament after just two matches while Rossouw is one of only four players to hit multiple centuries in men’s T20Is in 2022. They will do battle in Perth on Sunday
For India, the 2022 T20 World Cup has been all about Virat Kohli.
Just 12 months ago, he endured a lean tournament in the UAE, scoring 68 runs at a strike rate of 100 across three innings and striking just five fours and one six.
He subsequently stepped down as captain and has looked the better player for it. In 14 T20Is heading into the 2022 tournament he had 485 runs at a rate of 139.36, including five 50-plus knocks. A score of 122 not out off 61 balls against Afghanistan in September ended a run of three years without an international century.
Could he replicate that form on the biggest stage? Well, the answer so far has been unequivocally yes. Playing in a country where he boasted an average of 64.42 and had scored four half-centuries in 10 innings, Kohli has not disappointed.
Against Pakistan at the MCG, he posted an unbeaten knock of 82 not out from 53 balls, kicking on at the death to seal a nail-biting four-wicket win in the final over. Four days later in Sydney, he added a second half-century, posting 62 not out from 44 and sharing a 95-run third-wicket partnership with Suryakumar Yadav in a 56-run win over the Netherlands.
Virat Kohli celebrates India's win over Pakistan [Surjeet Yadav/Getty Images]
He is the fourth-highest run-scorer in the tournament (the three players ahead of him were all involved in round one) and is one of only three players to score multiple half-centuries.
"Until [this match] I said Mohali was my best T20 innings. Then I got 82 off 52, [against Pakistan] I got 82 off 53. Both are just as special. All these months when I was struggling, [the crowd] kept me going. I honestly have no words," he said after the Pakistan win.
Speaking of career-defining knocks, South Africa have their own run machine in full working order.
What do Sabawoon Davizi, Faheem Nazir, Gustav McKeon and Proteas No.3 Rilee Rossouw have in common? They're the only players to score multiple centuries in men's T20Is in 2022. The latter is also the only player to score a century at the 2022 T20 World Cup to date.
Against Bangladesh, Rossouw blasted 109 runs off just 56 deliveries to help his side post a 200-plus total – they went on to win by 104 runs. With seven fours and eight sixes, he scored over twice as many as the Tigers.
THE BIG MATCHWho: India v South AfricaWhere: Perth Stadium, PerthWhen: Sunday, October 30 (7pm local time, 11am BST)Prediction: India
The 33-year-old has enjoyed a considerably less glamorous international career than Kohli. He made his T20I debut in November 2014 and earned 15 caps over the next 18 months before spending six years in the wilderness. He made an inauspicious return against England a few months ago, scoring just four runs, but has since chalked up 340 runs at a strike rate of 184.78 in eight appearances in 2022.
But when asked about his most special knock following his century against Bangladesh, Rossouw indicated a preference for his maiden three-figure knock, which came against India on October 4: "The one against India was more special but they are both close to my heart."
On that occasion, Rossouw devastated India's bowling attack. Off just 48 balls, he dispatched seven fours and eight sixes on his way to 100 not out. By the time he'd finished with them, Ravichandran Ashwin was the only Indian bowler to record an economy under 10 an over.
He'll be facing a very different bowling attack in Perth – Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya were all absent in Indore – but it's a knock which will surely be playing on India's mind.
Rossouw scored a century against India earlier in October [Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images]
As things stand, India sit top of group two with two wins from two and the rare distinction of being one of the few teams so far unaffected by the weather. Their 56-run victory over the Netherlands will have steadied a few heart rates after the Pakistan drama and of their remaining matches, they will expect to beat both Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Neither result, however, is a given.
South Africa, meanwhile, are one point back in second place after their tournament opener against Zimbabwe ended in no result but possess a monstrous net run rate (+5.200) following their demolition of Bangladesh. Their bowling attack, however, is yet to be tested after being thrust into a nine-over game against Zimbabwe and defending 206 against Bangladesh.
Their remaining fixtures will see them take on Pakistan and the Netherlands, with the former not to be underestimated despite their poor form as they attempt to save face (and maybe even their qualification hopes if results go their way).
India have the edge in the head-to-head, leading by 13 wins to nine, and had the edge in their most recent meeting, winning the three-match series 2-1. However, in 2022, the record is only 4-3 in their favour, making the outcome of this clash very difficult to predict.
What is more certain, however, is that the performances of Virat Kohli and Rilee Rossouw will likely be crucial in deciding the winner.