India's T20I Squad Announced for South Africa Series Starting December 9
India's T20I Squad Announcement
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has revealed the squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, commencing on December 9 in Cuttack. Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed as the captain, while all-rounder Hardik Pandya returns to the team after missing the recent T20I series in Australia due to injury.
Notable Player Updates
This series marks Pandya's first international T20I appearance since the Super Four match against Sri Lanka during the Asia Cup 2025 in September. He was absent from the Asia Cup final against Pakistan, which India won, and the white-ball series in Australia due to fitness issues. Recently, Pandya showcased his readiness by playing for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Rinku Singh, who participated in the T20I series against Australia, has been excluded from the squad for the matches against South Africa. Shubman Gill, who sustained a neck injury during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata, has been included in the squad but must receive fitness clearance from BCCI's Centre of Excellence (COE) before he can play.
T20I Match Schedule
The first T20I will take place on December 9 in Cuttack. The second match is scheduled for December 11 in Mullanpur, followed by the third T20I on December 14 in Dharamsala. The fourth match will be held on December 17 in Lucknow, and the series will conclude with the fifth T20I on December 19 in Ahmedabad.
Previously, South Africa achieved a 2-0 victory over India in the two-match Test series, while India currently leads the three-match ODI series 1-0.
Complete Squad for the T20I Series
The squad for the T20I series against South Africa includes: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain)*, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar.
Note: *Subject to fitness clearance from BCCI COE.