Hardik Pandya has been returned to the limited-overs squad for the three-match home T20I series against South Africa. Earlier, he has been rested for the ongoing tour of West Indies with a minor niggle during the World Cup 2019 tournaments.
The fast bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah were also been rested as they have opted for India’s T20 side ahead of next year’s World Cup in Australia. MS Dhoni who took a break from the cricketing grounds is likely to put his international retirement on hold. However, he is unlikely to be selected for India’s three-match T20 home series against South Africa.
The pacers Khaleel Ahmed, Navdeep Saini, and Deepak Chahar have cumulatively played 16 T20Is. Hardik’s return adds up to the strong batting order while bringing in the added dimension of his fast bowling.
However, Hardik will be replacing Bhuvneshwar Kumar as the only change in the squad that won the T20I series against West Indies recently. India will go into the series with one of their most inexperienced bowling attacks in recent times as the wrist-spinning duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav are also not part of the squad.
The three-match T20I series against South Africa begins on September 15 in Dharamsala with subsequent games in Mohali (September 18) and Bengaluru (September 22). This will be followed by a three-Test series beginning on October 2.
India’s squad for 3 T20Is against South Africa:
- Virat Kohli(Capt)
- Rohit Sharma(vc)
- KL Rahul
- Shikhar Dhawan
- Shreyas Iyer
- Manish Pandey
- Rishabh Pant (WK)
- Hardik Pandya
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Krunal Pandya
- Washington Sundar
- Rahul Chahar
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Deepak Chahar
- Navdeep Saini
