India Announces T20I Squad for South Africa Series Starting December 9

The BCCI has officially announced the Indian squad for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa, set to begin on December 9 in Cuttack. Surya Kumar Yadav will captain the team, with Hardik Pandya returning after injury. The squad also sees Shubman Gill included, pending fitness clearance. The series consists of five matches, with the first match scheduled in Cuttack. This announcement follows India's recent performance against South Africa in the Test series and the ongoing ODI series. Read on for more details about the team composition and match schedule.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 3, 2025, 19:16 IST

Indian Team Selection for T20I Series Against South Africa

The senior men's selection committee of the BCCI has revealed the Indian squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, commencing on December 9 in Cuttack. Surya Kumar Yadav will lead the team, while all-rounder Hardik Pandya makes his return after missing the T20I series against Australia. Pandya is set to play his first international T20I since the Super Four match against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2025, having missed the final against Pakistan and the limited-overs tour of Australia due to injury.

Recent Performances and Team Changes

Recently, Hardik Pandya showcased his fitness while playing for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Tuesday. Rinku Singh, who was part of the squad for the T20I series against Australia, has been excluded from the team for the upcoming matches against South Africa. Shubman Gill, who sustained a neck injury during the first Test of the two-match series against South Africa in Kolkata, has been included in the squad after recovering from injuries that kept him out of the second Test and the three-match ODI series.

Fitness Clearance and Match Schedule

However, Gill must obtain fitness clearance from the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (COE) to participate in the five-match T20I series at home against the Proteas. The first T20I is scheduled for December 9 in Cuttack, with the second match taking place in Mulnipur on December 11. The third T20I will be held in Dharamshala on December 14, followed by the fourth match in Lucknow on December 17, and the series will conclude with the fifth match in Ahmedabad on December 19. Previously, South Africa had swept India 2-0 in the two-match Test series, while India currently leads the three-match ODI series 1-0.

Complete Squad for the T20I Series

The Indian squad for the T20I series against South Africa includes: Surya Kumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain)*, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dubey, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, and Washington Sundar.

Note: *Subject to fitness clearance from BCCI COE.