Team India to tour South Africa for four T20Is [Source: @Johns/X.com]
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has unveiled India’s 15-player squad for the upcoming T20I series in South Africa. The Indian cricket team, under the leadership of newly-appointed skipper Suryakumar Yadav, will be playing four T20I matches with fellow 2024 T20 World Cup finalists South Africa in November next month.
The Indian selection committee was forced to make some surprise omissions, in the form of 2024 T20 World Cup winner Shivam Dube as well as in the form of sparkling young talent Riyan Parag.
BCCI announces squad for SA T20Is
Suryakumar Yadav, who was appointed as national T20I captain mere weeks after India’s 2024 T20 World Cup win in the West Indies, is set to continue as skipper for a fresh four-match chapter in South Africa next month.
On Friday, October 25, i.e., a couple of weeks prior to taking flight for South Africa, the selection committee unveiled India’s 15-player squad. Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma were selected as the designated wicketkeepers of the team, and the squad also features rising stars Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma.
Among the seniors, players like Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel will be accompanying captain Suryakumar Yadav to the ‘rainbow nation’. Here is a look at India’s entire 15-player squad for the South African tour.
Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan and Yash Dayal.
The BCCI also clarified the reasons behind the exclusions of Mayank Yadav and Shivam Dube from the team, citing their unavailability due to injuries. Moreover, Riyan Parag, who featured in India’s series win over Bangladesh, was also unavailable for selection as he is currently at the BCCI Centre of Excellence to tender his chronic right shoulder injury.