Mumbai: India on Wednesday announced their squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, beginning December 9 in Cuttack. The biggest developments include the return of vice-captain Shubman Gill and star all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
Gill, who missed part of the Test series and the entire ODI series due to injury, has been included in the squad subject to final fitness clearance from the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
Hardik Pandya, meanwhile, makes his long-awaited comeback after being sidelined since the Asia Cup in September. The all-rounder missed the white-ball tour of Australia and the current ODI series against South Africa as he worked on regaining full match fitness.
The squad, however, sees the absence of Rinku Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy, both of whom were part of the Australia tour. Rinku appeared only in the rain-affected final T20I and didn’t get a chance to bat, while Nitish featured in two ODIs.
In another key move, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah returns to the setup after being rested for the ODI leg of the South Africa tour.
The series, running from December 9 to December 19, will be crucial for both teams as they finalise preparations ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which begins on February 7.
