India name squads for South Africa tour
NEW DELHI: India have announced the squads for the all-format tour of South Africa, starting 10 December.
KL Rahul will lead the ODI squad against the Proteas in the absence of several regulars, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya among others.
In the longer format, India will be back to full strength, bolstered by the returns of Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Jasprit Bumrah after their long absence from Test cricket.
Rohit Sharma will be back to lead the side for the Test along with Virat Kohli, with both players requesting a break from the white-ball leg of the tour.
The return of Rahul and Iyer means there’s no place in the squad for red-ball veterans Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, both of whom featured in India’s XI for the World Test Championship Final against Australia in June.
Mohammed Shami also returns to the Test side but his inclusion is subject to fitness as he is currently undergoing medical treatment. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mukesh Kumar, who made their Test debut during the West Indies tour, hold onto their place.
Sanju Samson and Rajat Patidar find a place in the ODI squad, with the latter returning from an Achilles heel injury that kept him on the sidelines for a long time.
After the heartbreaking loss in the ICC World Cup Final, India’s focus now shifts towards the World Test Championship as well as the upcoming T20 World Cup.
The Test series against South Africa will be a part of the current WTC cycle with the action starting on Boxing Day in Centurion before Cape Town hosts the second Test in the new year. Before the red-ball series, the tour will commence with a three-match T20I and ODI series.
India are second in the WTC25 standings after their 1-0 series victory over West Indies in July while South Africa are yet to play in the current iteration of the World Test Championship.
🔹 KL Rahul to lead in ODIs
🔹 Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli rested for white-ball leg
🔹 India back to full strength for Tests🇮🇳 have announced their squads for the all-format tour of South Africa 👉 https://t.co/OHkIcj4V2O pic.twitter.com/tHvBABQ3XV
— ICC (@ICC) December 1, 2023