Hardik Pandya has made a notable return to India’s T20I squad for the upcoming series against South Africa, following an injury that sidelined him for over two months. His inclusion comes as the team prepares for a five-match series, with the first match scheduled for December 9.
Squad Details and Key Players
Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed as the captain of the squad, while Shubman Gill will serve as the vice-captain, pending fitness clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (COE). Gill recently recovered from a neck injury he sustained during the first Test in Kolkata.
Key players in the lineup include:
- Hardik Pandya
- Suryakumar Yadav (captain)
- Shubman Gill (vice-captain)*
- Abhishek Sharma
- Tilak Varma
- Shivam Dube
- Axar Patel
- Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper)
- Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper)
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Arshdeep Singh
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Harshit Rana
- Washington Sundar
*Subject to fitness clearance from BCCI COE.
Notable Omissions
Rinku Singh and allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy have been excluded from the squad. While Rinku Singh was present in the squad for the recent tour in Australia, he did not get to bat during the series. His only outing in international cricket since the Asia Cup final winning moment was in a washed-out match in Brisbane.
Nitish Kumar Reddy also did not participate in the Australian T20Is, and his exclusion was anticipated with Hardik’s return. If Shubman Gill is unable to play, Sanju Samson may step in as an opener alongside Abhishek Sharma.
Upcoming Matches
The five-match T20I series against South Africa will take place on the following dates:
- December 9 – Cuttack
- December 11 – New Chandigarh
- December 14 – Dharamsala
- December 17 – Lucknow
- December 19 – Ahmedabad
This announcement comes after India’s ODI series against South Africa, where they led 1-0 during the announcement in Raipur. With Hardik’s return and an evolving team strategy, the series promises to be competitive.
