Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are back in the India squad for the Asia Cup, but Jasprit Bumrah misses out due to injury.

Kohli, who has been so short of runs, has not played since the tour of England last month as he was given a rest.

The former captain will return in the Asia Cup, which will be staged from August 27 to September 11 in the United Arab Emirates with a Twenty20 format rather than the ODI for the 15th edition of the tournament.

Rahul has been sidelined by injuries and COVID-19, but will be vice-captain for the four-team competition. 

Paceman Bumrah will play no part after reportedly suffering a back injury, while Harshal Patel unavailable due to a rib injury.

Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel and Deepak Chahar will be on standby.

India face fierce rivals Pakistan and a qualifying team in Group A, with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Group B.

India squad for the Asia Cup: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan.

Ravi Bishnoi claimed career-best Twenty20 International figures as India thrashed West Indies by 88 runs in Fort Lauderhill to win the series 4-1.

Shreyas Iyer top scored with 64 off 40 balls and Deepak Hooda made 38 as India posted 188-7 in the final match of the series in Florida on Sunday, 

The Windies were skittled out for 100 in reply, with all 10 wickets falling to spinners for the first time in a T20I.

Bishnoi took 4-16, while Axar Patel (3-15) and Kuldeep Yadav (3-12) also capitalised on West Indies' batting frailties as Shimron Hetmyer (56) scored over half of their runs.

India were not fazed by losing Ishan Kishan early on, Iyer and Hooda putting on 76 for the second wicket to put them on course to an imposing total.

Iyer finally fell to Jason Holder after Hayden Walsh saw the back of Hooda, but captain Hardik Pandya made a brisk 28 before he was run out by Odean Smith.

Smith (3-33) claimed his third scalp by sending Axar (9) packing in the final over, but the Windies were soon in big trouble in the run chase.

Axar bowled Holder for a duck with the third ball of the innings before getting Shamarh Brooks (13) stumped and the tweaker also cleaned up Devon Thomas (10) in the fifth over.

Kuldeep stepped up to remove West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran, reducing the Windies to 50-4, before Bishnoi trapped Rovman Powell (9) and Keemo Paul (0) lbw with successive balls.

Hetmyer was running out of partners as the procession of wickets continued, with the left-hander falling to Bishnoi, who then finished off the job by getting Obed McCoy caught in the deep.

India put Windies in a spin

Bishnoi was outstanding as the Windies failed a trial by spin, with Axar and Kuldeep also tormenting Pooran's side.

The excellent Bishnoi took four wickets for the first time in the shortest format at international level, ending the series on a high note.

Iyer shows his class

With such competition for places in a T20 World Cup year, Iyer gave another exhibition of his class.

He struck two sixes and another eight boundaries, setting India on their way to a total that was far too many for the Windies.

England international Moeen Ali does not believe the hectic cricket schedule is sustainable.

Moeen, who has previously filled in as England's captain in T20Is and was named as vice-captain for the tour of West Indies earlier this year, retired from Test cricket in 2021.

The 35-year-old wanted to focus on the limited-overs formats, and more players seem to be faced with the decision of sacrificing one for the other.

In part, this has been put down to the tight and congested nature of the cricketing calendar, with tours scheduled between high-profile tournaments such as the Indian Premier League, the Big Bash League and, in England, The Hundred. There is also the small matter of another T20 World Cup coming up later this year in Australia.

England's new Test captain Ben Stokes has made a similar decision, giving up white-ball cricket to focus on the long format, while he skipped The Hundred alongside team-mate Jonny Bairstow this year.

"At the moment it's not sustainable," Moeen told reporters when asked about his concerns over the schedule.

Moeen also believes that 50-over matches are most vulnerable.

"Something has to be done because I fear losing the 50-over format in a couple of years because it's almost like the long, boring one," said the all-rounder, who is the captain of Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred.

"There's no importance given to it at the moment.

"International cricket in all three formats is by far the best cricket to play, but I do worry there are so many tournaments out there that players are retiring more now, and you'll see more retiring soon, because of overlapping schedules."

Wayne Parnell starred with the ball as South Africa won by 44 runs to complete a 2-0 T20I series victory over Ireland.

Medium-pacer Parnell took 5-30 on Friday in Bristol, leading South Africa's bowling attack as they successfully defended a total of 182-6.

Opening batsman Reeza Hendricks led the way in the Proteas' innings, striking six boundaries as he mounted 42 before succumbing to Gareth Delany, who with figures of 2-24 was the pick of Ireland's bowlers.

Hendricks' stand came to an end in the 13th over, with Delany taking his second wicket two balls later when he dismissed Aiden Markram, who had plundered 27 from just 10 balls.

Yet Heinrich Klaasen (39) and captain David Miller (32 not out) steered South Africa to a strong total, setting the stage for their bowlers to do the rest.

Parnell was on a hat-trick in his first over when he dismissed Andy Balbirnie and Lorcan Tucker for ducks, but Harry Tector (34) provided some resistance before also falling to Parnell, who had just sent Curtis Campher packing.

Dwaine Pretorius (3-33) took quickfire wickets to further damage Ireland's hopes, and he wrapped up the win when Barry McCarthy picked out Markram at deep midwicket after Parnell had sealed his five-for by dismissing Andy McBrine.

South Africa will not risk any complacency when they face Ireland in this week's two-match T20I series, Aiden Markram has promised.

The Proteas are in the midst of their all-formats tour of England, and after beating Jos Buttler's team in a three-match T20I series, they face an Ireland side that is still winless in a T20I series under new coach Heinrich Malan, who goes up against his home nation.

Ireland came close to famous wins against both India and New Zealand, but they have lost their last six T20Is, which is tied for their longest losing run in the format, while they have already suffered defeat in eight T20Is in total this year.

South Africa played Ireland in 2021, drawing an ODI series but comfortably winning the three T20Is.

Markram, however, is not taking anything for granted ahead of Wednesday's opener in Bristol, as South Africa look to gear up for this year's World Cup, with the Proteas only playing India in the shortest format in between this series and heading to Australia.

"It will definitely be a new, exciting challenge for us," he told reporters. "We played them quite recently in Ireland and we saw exactly what they could do.

"They are improving series by series, we saw them against India, and they are a team you can't take for granted."

South Africa do not go into this with their first-choice squad, with injuries to captain Temba Bavuma and paceman Kagiso Rabada.

Markram though is among the players eager to stake a claim ahead of the World Cup.

"The communication has been really good from coach, management team and captain," said Markram, who has been the top scorer for South Africa in eight T20Is since the beginning of 2020.

"It makes it easier to understand why they are [rotating players]. Building up to World Cups you want to pick your best squad and it's important to give guys fair opportunities before you select the team."

Tector tipped to flourish

Harry Tector is likely to be key for Ireland. He is reportedly drawing interest for Cricket South Africa's new T20 league, meaning he has a real chance to impress any would-be suitors, having scored 384 runs across 14 ODIs at an average of 76.40 this year, and 249 in nine T20Is.

Tector said: "We've shown that when we stand up to these teams, we are capable of going blow-for-blow with them, and it feels that way within the group. The belief is there that we can beat these big teams, and not get nervous about any team we play."

Catching practice required

Since the beginning of 2021, no team has dropped more catches in men's T20Is than South Africa (40), who have managed a catch success rate of 79 per cent during this period

Quinton de Kock does not buck that trend, as since the start of 2020, he has dropped more catches than any other wicketkeeper. 

Pakistan will host England for the first time in 17 years, it has been confirmed.

England have not toured Pakistan since 2005 due to security concerns, but will return for a seven-match T20 series in September.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja confirmed last month that an England tour of the country was in the works, with ESPNcricinfo having reported that an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) security team were to assess security arrangements.

The tour, which was originally set to be played in October 2021 but was cancelled after New Zealand withdrew from a series citing security issues, has now been confirmed. It will take place between September 20 and October 2, prior to the T20 World Cup, which is to be held in Australia.

England will then return to Pakistan for a three-match Test series in December.

Karachi will host the opening four T20s, taking place on September 20, 22, 23 and 25, with Lahore staging the final three, on September 28, 30 and October 2.

Zakir Khan, the PCB's director of international cricket, said: "We are absolutely delighted to confirm hosting England for seven T20Is in Karachi and Lahore as a curtain-raiser to a busy, entertaining and exciting season of home internationals.

"England [are] one of the top-ranked T20I teams and them playing the shortest format in the lead up to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Pakistan will not only help the team management to finalise their preparations, but will also set the tone for December's three-Test series.

"We demonstrated our event planning and operational skills in the highly successful series against Australia in March/April and I am confident we will be able to replicate these when England visit us for the first time since 2005."

ECB managing director of England men's cricket, Rob Key, added: "We have been liaising closely with the PCB over arrangements for this visit and the Tests later in the year, and will continue to work closely with the PCB, British High Commission and other relevant authorities as we continue to prepare for these tours."

Pakistan will also host New Zealand in December and January, as well as in April, with West Indies also set to tour the nation next year.

Obed McCoy claimed the best T20I figures by a West Indies bowler and Devon Thomas was the final-over hero as the home side beat India by five wickets to level the series.

Paceman McCoy took stunning figures of 6-17, reducing the tourists to 138 all out at Warner Park after play got under way two hours later than scheduled due to team luggage not arriving on time in Basseterre.

Brandon King then top-scored for West Indies with 68 from 52 balls, before Thomas smashed a free hit for six and struck Avesh Khan for four to win it with four deliveries to spare, squaring the five-match series at 1-1 ahead of Tuesday's third match.

McCoy made a dream start by getting Rohit Sharma caught by Akeal Hosein at a wide short third man from the first ball of the match and also removed Suryakumar Yadav in his second over.

The dangerous Rishabh Pant (24) and Hardik Pandya (31) got starts before they were dismissed by Hosein (1-22) and Jason Holder respectively (2-23) as the wickets continued to tumble.

McCoy returned to send Ravindra Jadeja (27) packing and leave the tourists 115-6, then saw the back of Dinesh Karthik, Ravichandran Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in a brilliant penultimate over.

King dominated the strike in an opening stand of 46 as the Windies made a good start to the run chase, Kyle Mayers the first to fall to Pandya in the seventh over.

Nicholas Pooran holed out attempting to smash Ashwin for six and West Indies were 83-3 in the 13th over when Shimron Hetmyer was caught and bowled by Jadeja.

King brought up his half-century off 39 balls but was bowled by an Avesh yorker immediately after slapping him for a six down the ground, leaving the Windies needing 32 off 27 balls with six wickets in hand.

Arshdeep Singh bowled Rovman Powell to leave the game in the balance, but with 10 needed off the last over, Thomas punished Avesh's no ball with a huge six and finished off the job with a cut for four.

Six of the best for McCoy

It was a day to remember for quick McCoy, who registered the seventh-best figures by a bowler from any nation in the shortest format at international level.

Keemo Paul held the previous record T20I figures for the Windies of 5-15 against Bangladesh in December 2018 before McCoy tore through India.

King provides the platform

Opener King did not play in the first match of the series, but he made a big impact on his return.

He played responsibly on a wicket that was not easy to bat on, hitting two sixes and eight fours to register a fourth T20I half-century that proved to be crucial.

Matthew Mott and Jos Buttler have agreed England's Twenty20 International series defeat to South Africa was "a line in the sand moment".

Mott was recently appointed England's new limited-overs head coach, with Buttler newly installed as white-ball skipper.

But the pair have not enjoyed the sort of strong start seen in the Test arena under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.

England lost ODI and T20I series' to India, both 2-1, before facing South Africa.

A three-match ODI series was drawn, but Buttler's men then let slip a 1-0 lead in the T20Is to lose again.

England looked to be on the right path with their opening 41-run win, only for subsequent reverses by 58 and 90 runs to prompt serious concern.

Following that latest dismal defeat, Mott was not shying away from the need for vast improvement.

"I've just spoken to Jos very briefly, and this is a line in the sand moment for the team," the coach told Sky Sports.

He added: "We were down on confidence with bat and ball. It was disappointing.

"I thought we put ourselves in a good position to win the series, and we'll have take a lot out of that game."

This sequence of underwhelming results comes ahead of a T20 World Cup at the end of the year, too.

"It's been a bit of a struggle," Mott told BBC Sport. "We've had ups and downs throughout the summer.

"We've played two great teams and come out second both times, so we're disappointed."

South Africa clinched a 2-1 Twenty20 International series win over England in dominant fashion with a 90-run victory at the Ageas Bowl.

Despite losing Quinton de Kock for a duck in the first over of the decider in Southampton on Sunday, the Proteas posted an imposing 191-5 as Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram thrived with the bat.

After a 55-run stand with Rilee Rossouw, who fired 31 off 18 balls, Hendricks (70) and Markram (51 not out) combined for a key 87-run third-wicket partnership.

Markram had support late in the innings from captain David Miller - who hit 22 off just nine balls - and the pair at one point combining for five fours in the space of six deliveries.

Miller struck South Africa's sole six and Tristan Stubbs hit two fours in the final over to push South Africa beyond 190, which England never threatened to reach after Jos Buttler (14) and Jason Roy (17) had both departed during the powerplay.

Tabraiz Shamsi (5-24) was the star of the show as the spinner ensured the wickets continue to tumble around Jonny Bairstow, who was the last man to fall on 27 when he slog-swept Keshav Maharaj to deep midwicket.

Buttler still waiting for series win

England's new white-ball skipper Buttler remains without a win from his first four series since taking the job, this defeat following a drawn ODI series with South Africa and 2-1 losses to India in both limited-overs formats. The manner of Sunday's defeat suggests he and his side have a long way to go if they are to contend at the T20 World Cup this year.

Shamsi puts England in a spin

Shamsi's five-for was the first of his T20I career. Both of his previous four-wicket hauls in the format came last year against Ireland and Pakistan. The Proteas have now won four of their past five T20I series, continuing their fine form in England after a 2-2 draw with India earlier in the year.

Rohit Sharma made T20I history as India maintained their sensational white-ball form with a 68-run victory in the series opener against West Indies. 

India won the ODI series 3-0 and continued in the same vein in the shortest format as Rohit claimed possession of a pair of records. 

He led the way with 64 off 44 balls, surpassing Martin Guptill for the most runs in men's T20I cricket when he took his innings into the 20s. 

Rohit's half-century saw him take outright possession of the record for the most scores of 50-plus in T20Is. 

This made it 31 such scores for Rohit, who laid the foundation for Dinesh Karthik to power India to 190-6 in the closing overs with 41 not out from just 19 deliveries. 

The Windies struck 22 off the first eight balls of their reply, but a strong start quickly gave way to a collapse. 

Nicholas Pooran's side lost seven wickets for 64 runs as India's strength in depth with the ball came to the fore with Ravichandran Ashwin the star of the show. 

Akeal Hosein (11) provided some lower-order resistance that was always in vain and was ended by Arshdeep Singh's yorker as India wrapped up a dominant win.  

Record-breaker Rohit

Rohit now has 3,443 T20I runs to his name having gone past Guptill on 3,399. 

He had been level with Virat Kohli, rested for this tour, with 30 scores of 50 or more in T20Is but broke the tie and went top of the leaderboard with his first 50 since November 2021 against New Zealand. 

Spinners frustrate Windies

Seven Windies batters reached double figures, including tailender Keemo Paul, who made the margin of defeat more respectable with his 19 not out after the game was ended as a contest. 

But it was a case of too many players failing to build on starts as India's spinners controlled the scoring and took regular wickets, Ashwin bowling 13 dot balls and giving up only two boundaries in his 2-22.    

Rilee Rossouw smashed his way to a career-best T20 International score as South Africa pushed on from a blistering start to beat England by 58 runs and level their three-match series.

The Somerset top-order batsman posted an unbeaten 96 not out off 55 balls after arriving at 39-1 to steer the tourists to a first innings total of 207-3 at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.

That proved to be more than enough to see off the hosts, who slumped to a middle-order collapse in response for 149 all out despite a defiant sixth-wicket stand between Jonny Bairstow (30) and Liam Livingstone (18).

The result means the two sides will head to the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Sunday for a winner-takes-all encounter, after the pair were forced to a 1-1 draw in their ODI series by rain at Headingley.

A lively opening stand between skipper-wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks sparked early fireworks before the former guided Moeen Ali to Jason Roy for 15, paving the way for Rossouw's arrival.

The left-hander, who returned from a six-year T20I exodus at Bristol on Wednesday, managed only four the night before but rolled out a masterfully modulated performance to guide his side through to the interval.

Stands of 73, 31 and 64 with Hendricks (53), Heinrich Klaasen (19) and Tristan Stubbs (15 not out) helped the Proteas to a double-century plus total, with the latter two in particular offering solid supporting performances.

England conjured an element of deja vu in their immediate response, with captain Jos Buttler holing out to Hendricks off the back of a rapid-fire 29 before Dawid Malan (5) and Jason Roy (20) fell to reduce them to 77-3.

The further dismissals of Ali (28) and Sam Curran (2) in quick succession left them at 92-5, staring down the barrel of a hefty defeat, before Bairstow and Livingstone combined for a morale-boosting 36.

But the former's dismissal through a superb catch from Lungi Ngidi off Kagiso Rabada effectively checked any momentum to leave the hosts at 128-6, and the latter's exit less than an over later sparked a tail-end collapse to tee up an intriguing finale this weekend.

Rossouw seizes second chance

Once the hottest prospect in South African cricket the better part of a decade ago, with a first-class top score of 319 posted as a teenager, Rossouw effectively seemed to end his international career in 2017 when he penned a Kolpak contract with Hampshire.

But injury to white-ball skipper Temba Bavuma has offered him an unlikely shot at Proteas redemption, and though his brief four in Wednesday's opening match was more anticlimactic, this proved a masterful display that could well give him a way back into the setup on a regular basis.

Bairstow keeps form afloat as Tests loom

Few players have showcased quite such a rich vein of form of late than Bairstow in Test cricket, and he carried that Midas touch over into the first T20I on Wednesday with a fluidly assured 90 to guide England to victory.

While the hosts fell considerably shorter a day later this time around, Bairstow once again proved their top scorer with a more modest 30, a figure that nevertheless showcases his ability to keep grinding out runs as he prepares to return to the long-form game against the tourists next month.

Rohit Sharma returns to lead India when a five-match Twenty20 International series against West Indies starts on Friday.

India's captain was rested for the 3-0 one-day international whitewash of the Windies, but will be back in action at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy,

Shikhar Dhawan skippered the tourists as his fellow opener was given a rest for the 50-over contests.

Rohit will expect India to maintain their momentum when the series gets under way in Tarouba, Trinidad, with the T20 World Cup in Australia on the horizon.

India have won five and drawn one of their past six series in the shortest format, beating England most recently.

They are top of the rankings and have shown their strength in depth amid a hectic schedule.

Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal have been rested for this series along with out-of-sorts former captain Virat Kohli, but the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav are back.

West Indies beat Bangladesh 2-0 in their last T20I series, but India consigned them to a 3-0 clean sweep in February.

Nicholas Pooran has endured a difficult start to his tenure as Windies white-ball skipper and his side face another big challenge in a series that includes two matches in Florida.

Yadav primed for more heroics

Suryakumar Yadav made a match-winning 117 when India beat England in the T20I decider at Trent Bridge.

With fierce competition in the middle order and Kohli absent, Yadav will see this series as another opportunity to cement his spot.

Windies batters must show consistency

Despite being beaten by India in all three ODIs, West Indies twice posted over 300.

They must show a consistency that has been lacking as they build towards the World Cup, led by Pooran, who has certainly not been short of runs as skipper and was man of the series in the T20I series success over the Tigers.

Jonny Bairstow blasted his highest T20 International score and Moeen Ali struck a record-breaking half-century as England beat South Africa by 41 runs in the first match of the series.

Bairstow is in the form of his life and bludgeoned 90 off only 53 balls on Wednesday, while Moeen made the fastest T20I half-century by an England batter from just 16 deliveries.

The exploits of Bairstow and Moeen (50) enabled England to rack up 234-6 at the County Ground in Bristol, their second-highest total in the shortest format and the biggest they have posted at home.

Tristan Stubbs top scored with a sublime 72 off 28 balls in his first international innings and Reeza Hendricks made 57, but the tourists fell short on 193-8 in a run-fest.

Jos Buttler smashed 22 off only seven balls after losing yet another toss, but Lungi Ngidi (5-39) removed the skipper and fellow opener Jason Roy.

Dawid Malan (43) was looking in ominous touch before he nicked Andile Phehlukwayo behind, setting the stage for Bairstow and Moeen put on an astonishing show of power and timing.

From 112-3 after 12 overs, the left and right-hand combination wreaked havoc, putting on 106 for the fourth wicket in just under six overs, with Bairstow dropped twice as the Proteas suffered under the lights.

Moeen fell straight after bringing up a fastest T20I half-century and Bairstow finally departed in the last over from Ngidi, just missing out on hundred.

The in-form Reece Topley (2-29) dismissed Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw cheaply, but Hendricks and Stubbs made a game of it as they made hay on a great track.

Moeen had Hendricks caught by Sam Curran and Adil Rashid (2-21) struck twice before Stubbs took centre stage as the boundaries continued to flow, but he was one of Richard Gleeson's three late victims and Chris Jordan bowled superbly at the death in a hugely impressive win for England.

Bairstow and Moeen go berserk 

The powerful Bairstow struck eight sixes and Moeen cleared the rope six times, with Phehlukwayo (1-63) conceding 33 runs from an astonishing 17th over and Tabraiz Shamsi going for 49 in three wicket-less overs.

Rossouw and Hendricks dropped Bairstow, who was finally removed in an excellent last over from the Ngidi, but the damage had already been done.

Stubbs stakes his claim

The 21-year-old Stubbs had batted in his only two previous internationals against India, but he staked a claim to be a regular fixture in the side with the T20 World Cup on the horizon.

He hit eight sixes to keep the Proteas in with an outside chance of chasing down a huge target, scoring at a rapid rate on both sides of the wicket before falling to Gleeson (3-51).

Adil Rashid suggested any tactical U-turn from England's white-ball teams could mean years of progress being lost as he predicted continued aggression would bring its rewards.

The spinner is set for a key role as England tackle South Africa in a three-match T20I series that begins at the County Ground in Bristol on Wednesday.

Rashid, with 81 wickets in 73 T20I outings, ranks second only to Chris Jordan on the list of England's bowlers with the most victims in the short-form international game.

There has been a rocky start to the new era for England that has seen Matthew Mott come in as white-ball coach and Jos Buttler replace Eoin Morgan as captain.

England lost ODI and T20I series to India, both by a 2-1 margin, and then drew 1-1 with the South Africans in ODIs after the third match was abandoned due to rain at Headingley.

But Rashid says it would be a mistake to panic and implement changes, particularly in light of the T20 World Cup coming up in October.

He told Sky Sports: "Sometimes you win some and sometimes you lose some. But if we maintain our mindset and have that positive, aggressive brand of cricket we're playing, I'm sure we'll do well.

"More often than not, if you have that mindset and are playing with that aggressiveness and you're fully committed to it, it will come off. I think we're in a good place.

"Why would we change? I think we've done well the last seven or eight years, we've done well in 50 overs and T20, and I think we'll continue doing what we have been doing."

Rashid said England's mindset was to be "playing as if it's our last game", adding: "I think the focus is the World Cup but before that, we've still got plenty of cricket to be played and hopefully we can run into some good form by then."

Yorkshire star Rashid said he was "not even thinking" about the prospect of playing Tests again – "because there's so much white-ball cricket".

Rashid has played 118 ODIs and 73 T20I matches, and won the last of his 19 Test caps against West Indies in January 2019. 

England out to make amends, Proteas look to catch a break

After Wednesday's opener, England and South Africa will carry on their rivalry in Cardiff on Thursday and Southampton for the finale on Sunday.

England's T20I setback against India halted a run of three successive series victories, and they have never lost back-to-back home series before in the shortest international format. They have beaten South Africa in five of their last six T20I matches, but that lone defeat came in their last meeting, at last year's World Cup.

There has been a swing of momentum towards England in the T20I rivalry between the sides, with England winning their last three bilateral series after two drawn series and a loss in the three prior. South Africa last beat England in such a series in February 2016.

If South Africa are to prevail, their catching might need to surpass recent standards. England have a catch success rate of 86 per cent (155 of 180 chances) in men's T20Is since the beginning of 2020, which is the best in the elite-level game, but South Africa sit 10th on that list with a 76 per cent record.

Buttler and De Kock chase landmarks

The runs have dried up for new captain Buttler, who has managed just 147 across eight innings in limited-overs internationals this month. He is 56 runs away from becoming the batter with the most runs in men's T20Is against South Africa, having amassed 416 to date, putting him behind Martin Guptill (424) and David Warner (471).

On the South African side, Quinton de Kock is 72 short of overtaking JP Duminy to become his country's leading run-scorer in all men's T20Is. He and the now-retired Duminy are tied for the most fifties in the format for the Proteas, both having made 11 half-centuries.

Jonny Bairstow has vowed to carry on playing for England in all three formats in international cricket – even if the workload has become too much for Test captain Ben Stokes.

Yorkshireman Bairstow won his 94th ODI cap for England in Friday's clash with South Africa at Old Trafford, and he has also played 87 Tests and 63 T20I matches.

Coming up for his 33rd birthday in September, Bairstow is eager to stay involved at the highest level "for as long as possible". Stokes quit the ODI team this week to focus on Tests and T20I commitments.

Bairstow feels the 50-over game remains an essential step for anyone keen to earn "a quick buck" in T20 leagues, and said the same applied for first-class cricket.

He told Sky Sports: "Naturally there are challenges, we've seen that over a period of time now.

"We only have to look at the Tests this summer where there was a one-day squad over in Holland at the same time. Even at the back end of this summer, there are the seven T20s in Pakistan that pretty much overlap with the last Test match [against South Africa].

"But you know me well enough to know that I will be trying to play all forms for as long as possible.

"I will be going all out for as long as I can. There might come a time that, for different reasons, you do have to make a decision but that's part of life and part and parcel of cricket.

"In the near future, I don't see myself making a choice. I love being part of all three squads."

Bairstow described ODIs as "a stepping stone into Test cricket", given the game is not typically as frenetic as the T20I format, with solid technique and patience required.

He is enjoying a stellar year at international level, albeit he had a disappointing spell with Punjab Kings in the lucrative IPL, scoring just 253 runs in 21 innings.

Players can earn big money from competing in such competitions, but Bairstow believes developing a solid game by playing longer-format cricket is imperative.

"There is the lure of playing in T20 leagues and making a quick buck, let's be honest about that," Bairstow said. "But, everything comes from your basic technique, which you learn in four-day cricket – and then you expand from that."