The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet announced the squad for the five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting December 9th. Some regular players are certain to be included in the squad, but there are others who may be left out. Let’s take a look at which players are likely to be included in the squad and when the squad might be announced.
How the T20I squad can be shaped
According to reports, the Indian team for the series against South Africa will be announced today, Wednesday, December 3. The first match of the five-match T20 International series will be played on December 9 at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, while the final match will be played on December 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is expected to return to the team after suffering an injury during the Asia Cup earlier this year. He has been a valuable asset to the team and also played for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Tuesday, taking one wicket and scoring a crucial 77. His return is expected to force Nitish Kumar Reddy’s exclusion from the team.
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There’s still no clarity on Gill’s fitness after suffering a neck injury during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata. If he’s fit, he’s certain to be selected. If he’s not, Yashasvi Jaiswal will get the opportunity. This means that if the equation changes, Sanju Samson could once again be seen in the opening role. Assam all-rounder Riyan Parag has a chance of making the cut also.
Probable Indian team for T20 series vs South Africa
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dubey, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav and Riyan Parag.