Hardik Pandya makes returns to India’s T20 squad vs South Africa with Shubman Gill set to play subject to fitness.
Hardik Pandya has been chosen in India’s 15-member team for the T20Is against South Africa after an injury hiatus kept him out of action for almost two months.
The squad also includes India’s T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill, who has been recuperating from a neck injury he suffered during the first Test in Kolkata. However, Gill’s participation is contingent upon receiving a fitness clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (COE). Beginning on December 9, Suryakumar Yadav will captain the team during the five-match series.
There was no room in the side for Rinku Singh and allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy who were touring Australia lately for the T20I series. Those were the only two absences from India’s last T20I assignment.
In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), India’s domestic Twenty20 tournament, Hardik made his comeback on Tuesday for Baroda. He batted at number four to smash an undefeated 77 off 42 balls with four sixes and seven fours for a seven-wicket victory over Punjab after opening the bowling session with figures of 1 for 52. That was his first competitive game since the Asia Cup Super Fours match versus Sri Lanka on September 26.
Sanju Samson, who has been opening alongside Abhishek Sharma while guiding Kerala in the present domestic T20s, may do so if Gill doesn’t recover in time. Samson’s sole opportunity to bat at No. 3 in Australia came during the second Twenty20 International in Melbourne. He was in the starting lineup for the first game as well, however Suryakumar batted at number three, and the game was abandoned after 9.4 overs.
The five games will take place at Cuttack, New Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad, respectively, on December 9, 11, 14, 17, and 19. When the T20I team was revealed during the second ODI in Raipur on Wednesday, India led the ODI series 1-0 and South Africa won the two-Test series 2-0.