(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the team’s squads for the upcoming all-format tour of South Africa, scheduled to start from December 10.
The biggest development out of all surrounds Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who asked for a break from the BCCI and have been rested for the white-ball leg of the tour. The duo will join the side for the Test series, commencing on December 26.
In Rohit’s absence, KL Rahul has been handed the captaincy hat for the ODIs, while Suryakumar Yadav, who is leading the team in the Australia T20Is, will carry on with the role for the shortest format in South Africa as well.
Veterans Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara are the notable exclusions from the touring party for the Test matches. Shreyas Iyer makes a comeback into the Test squad, and will walk into the playing XI as a middle-order batter.
Sai Sudharsan and Rinku Singh have received their maiden ODI call-ups, having done well in the IPL and domestic cricket recently. Sanju Samson and Yuzvendra Chahal too have made a cut to the ODI squad after facing a snub in the recently-concluded World Cup.
For the T20Is, Ravindra Jadeja is named the vice-captain and has found a spot over Axar Patel, who is playing against Australia currently.
Deepak Chahar is also in the white-ball squads. As informed by the BCCI, Mohammad Shami’s selection for the Test series is subject to fitness as he is undergoing a medical treatment.
Jasprit Bumrah will only feature in the Test series and is also announced as Rohit’s deputy for the red-ball format.
Notably, India will play three T20Is, three ODIs and two Test matches in December-January in the Rainbow Nation.
India T20I squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar
Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Jitesh Sharma
(wk), Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep
Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Deepak Chahar.
India ODI squad: Ruturaj
Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Tilak Varma, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh,
Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (C)(wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Axar Patel,
Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh
Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar.
India Test squad: Rohit Sharma (C),
Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj
Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (wk), KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra
Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit
Bumrah (VC), Prasidh Krishna.