India have recalled Hardik Pandya to their 15-member T20I squad for the five-match series against South Africa, marking his return after more than two months out due to injury. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the side, while Shubman Gill is included subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.
Rinku Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy were the only two omissions from India’s previous T20I assignment in Australia. Hardik made a fiery comeback for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 77 off 42 balls* and opening the bowling for 1/52 in a seven-wicket win over Punjab.
Gill, recovering from a neck injury sustained in the first Test in Kolkata, could be replaced by Sanju Samson at the top of the order if not declared fit. Samson has been opening alongside Abhishek Sharma in domestic T20s while also contributing at No. 3 for India in Australia.
The squad’s bowling unit will be led by Jasprit Bumrah, supported by Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. The allrounders include Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar, while Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav handle spin duties. Jitesh Sharma is the backup wicketkeeper.
The five T20Is are scheduled for December 9, 11, 14, 17, and 19 across Cuttack, New Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad. South Africa had already won the two-Test series 2-0, with India leading the ODI series 1-0 at the time of the T20I squad announcement.
India’s T20I squad vs SA:
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill* (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar
*Subject to fitness clearance
