Rohit and Kohli Rested, Shubman Gill Dropped As BCCI Unveils 16-Member Squad for South Africa ODI Series

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 16-member squad for the South Africa ODI series on November 30, appointing KL Rahul as the captain in the absence of Rohit Sharma, who has chosen to rest from white-ball cricket.

Senior players like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami, along with Rohit Sharma, have opted out of the ODI series. Additionally, Suryakumar Yadav and Shardul Thakur have been dropped following their underwhelming performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Meanwhile, the BCCI has not selected young opener Shubman Gill for the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, and no official reason has been provided. Speculation arises that the management might be giving him a break, taking into account his inclusion in India’s Test squad for the upcoming series against South Africa.

Rinku Singh, Sai Sudharsan Gets Maiden ODI Call-Up

In a substantial move, Uttar Pradesh explosive batter Rinku Singh and Sai Sudharsan from Tamil Nadu have been handed their maiden ODI call-ups for the Indian team, a testament to their outstanding displays in domestic cricket.

While Kuldeep Yadav has retained his place in the Indian ODI squad, Yuzvendra Chahal, who missed the 2023 ODI World Cup, has returned to the team for the three-match ODI series against South Africa.

India’s squad for 3 ODIs vs South Africa:

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.