The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is going to declare India’s ODI and T20I squads for the forthcoming South Africa tour later today. There is speculation if Rohit Sharma will return as the captain for the ODI part since Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer are not part of the team because of injuries.
The series includes three ODIs and five T20Is, and the selection committee has to make hard choices regarding the injuries of the players and the possible return of experienced players.
Gill & Iyer Injured — Captaincy Back With Rohit Sharma?
India’s new ODI captain, Shubman Gill, is out of action due to a neck injury that he sustained during the first Test match against South Africa. Besides, vice-captain Shreyas Iyer has also been sidelined with a shoulder injury that he sustained in Sydney during the third ODI.
The absence of these two main players has led to the selectors considering the return of Rohit Sharma—the captain who took India to the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy victory—back to the ODI team to lead it again.
Key Selection Questions Ahead of Announcement
📌 1. Who Will Be the Wicketkeeper?
KL Rahul remains India’s first-choice ODI keeper, but the race for the backup slot continues between:
- Rishabh Pant
- Dhruv Jurel
- Sanju Samson
- Ishan Kishan
📌 2. Mohammed Shami Set for ODI Return?
Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, who last played in the Champions Trophy final, has shown strong form in the Ranji Trophy. His ODI comeback is highly possible.
📌 3. No Bumrah & Hardik in ODIs
- Jasprit Bumrah: Expected to rest for ODIs but return for T20Is
- Hardik Pandya: Under rehab at BCCI Centre of Excellence; likely to be available only for T20Is
📌 4. Ruturaj Gaikwad Pushes for Selection
After an impressive South Africa A series, Ruturaj Gaikwad is the frontrunner to replace Gill in the ODI lineup.
📌 5. Yashasvi Jaiswal as Stand-In Opener
If Gill misses both formats, Yashasvi Jaiswal could open in ODIs and return to the T20I squad after more than a year.
South Africa Squads Already Confirmed
South Africa has announced full-strength squads led by:
- Temba Bavuma (ODI captain)
- Aiden Markram (T20I captain)
The squads include top stars like Quinton de Kock, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Dewald Brevis, and David Miller.
Predicted Indian Squads for SA Tour
🇮🇳 Probable ODI Squad
- Rohit Sharma
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
- Virat Kohli
- Tilak Varma
- KL Rahul (WK)
- Dhruv Jurel (WK)
- Axar Patel
- Washington Sundar
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohammed Siraj
- Arshdeep Singh
- Prasidh Krishna
- Harshit Rana
🇮🇳 Probable T20I Squad
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Abhishek Sharma
- Sanju Samson (WK)
- Suryakumar Yadav (C)
- Rinku Singh
- Shivam Dube
- Hardik Pandya
- Jitesh Sharma (WK)
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Arshdeep Singh
- Axar Patel
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Varun Chakaravarthy
India vs South Africa 2025 Series: Full Schedule
| Date | Match | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 30 | 1st ODI | Ranchi | 1:30 PM |
| Dec 3 | 2nd ODI | Raipur | 1:30 PM |
| Dec 6 | 3rd ODI | Visakhapatnam | 1:30 PM |
| Dec 9 | 1st T20I | Cuttack | 7:00 PM |
| Dec 11 | 2nd T20I | Mullanpur | 7:00 PM |
| Dec 14 | 3rd T20I | Dharamsala | 7:00 PM |
| Dec 17 | 4th T20I | Lucknow | 7:00 PM |
| Dec 19 | 5th T20I | Ahmedabad | 7:00 PM |
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