Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya Return as India Name T20I Squad for South Africa Series
Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya have made their long-awaited comeback as India announced their squad for the five-match T20I series against South Africa, set from December 9 to 19. Gill has been named vice-captain, pending fitness clearance.
Gill missed the ongoing ODI series after suffering a neck injury during the first Test in Kolkata. He has been rehabilitating at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, completing an unrestricted batting session and is scheduled for a final Return-to-Play match on Thursday.
Hardik Pandya returns after an injury sustained during the Asia Cup in September. He made a strong statement in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 77 off 42 balls for Baroda, proving his match readiness ahead of selection.
India T20I Squad vs South Africa:
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar.
The squad mirrors India’s Australia T20I lineup, with Bumrah returning from rest. Abhishek Sharma and Gill will open, while Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, and Suryakumar Yadav form the middle order. The pace attack comprises Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana; Kuldeep, Varun, and Washington handle spin duties. Samson and Jitesh Sharma are wicketkeepers.
T20I Series Schedule:
- Dec 9: Cuttack
- Dec 11: Mullanpur
- Dec 14: Dharamsala
- Dec 17: Lucknow
- Dec 19: Ahmedabad
Comments are closed.