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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Thursday, revealed the much-anticipated squads for India’s upcoming tour of South Africa. Notably, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have chosen to rest during the white-ball leg of the tour, expressing their preference to recharge for the challenging Test series ahead.
KL Rahul to captain ODIs, Suryakumar Yadav to lead T20Is
KL Rahul, the dynamic batter, has been appointed as the captain for the One Day Internationals (ODIs), while Suryakumar Yadav will take charge of the Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). Ravindra Jadeja has been named the vice-captain for the T20I squad. Not to mention, Suryakumar is currently leading India in the T20I series against Australia at home.
Return of Sanju Samson
The One Day International setup sees the return of Sanju Samson, who will provide additional firepower to the middle order. Further, Rahul has been designated as the wicket-keeper for the Test squad. Additionally, young talent Ruturaj Gaikwad receives his maiden call-up for the Test format.
Exclusion of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane
Experienced players Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have not been included in the Test squad. However, both Rohit and Kohli are set to make their return for the Test series, with Rohit leading the team. Mohammed Shami‘s inclusion is subject to medical clearances, and Jasprit Bumrah will serve as Rohit’s deputy in the Test format.
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India’s squad composition:
T20Is: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Deepak Chahar.
ODIs: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Tilak Varma, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (C)(wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar.
Tests: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (wk), KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Mohd. Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Prasidh Krishna.
India’s squad announcement sets the stage for an exciting tour, with a mix of experienced players and promising youngsters ready to take on South Africa across all formats. The leadership choices reflect the team’s commitment to nurturing a blend of talent and experience.
