India’s announce 18-man squad for South Africa Tests, Rohit Sharma named vice-captain

The All-India national selection committee has named the 18-man squad for the three-match Test series against South Africa.

Rohit Sharma has been named Kohli’s deputy while Ajinkya Rahane has been retained in the squad despite being in poor form.

Hanuma Vihari, who is currently in South Africa with the India A squad, has also made the cut into the team. Ishant Sharma, who was doubtful due to injury has been named to the squad.

However, Axar Patel, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Rahul Chahar have all missed out due to respective injuries. Jadeja is reported to suffer a ligament tear while Gill’s shin injury has resurfaced. Jayant Yadav, who played in the second Test match against New Zealand, has been included as the second spinner along with veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

“The following players were not available for selection due to injuries and are currently undergoing rehabilitation: Ravindra Jadeja, Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, Rahul Chahar,” said BCCI in an official release.

Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj will constitute the pace battery of the team. On the other hand, Mayank Agarwal, who had a great series against New Zealand, is expected to be the second choice opener of the team as Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul will be the first-choice opening pair.

Rishabh Pant also returns to the Test squad after getting rested in the series against the Kiwis. Shreyas Iyer is also included after making an impressive Test debut in the Kanpur Test.

The first Test match between South Africa and India will be played at Centurion from December 26.

Squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma (Vice-captain), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (WK), Wriddhiman Saha (WK), R Ashwin, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj.

Standby Players: Navdeep Saini, Saurabh Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Arzan Nagwaswalla.

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

“Never expected a very easy run” – Gautam Gambhir reflects on his tenure as coach after IND vs NZ 2024 Test series defeat

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has admitted that he never expected a very easy run… Read More

October 31, 2024

Probably has a lot to do with playing on flat wickets in T20 – Gautam Gambhir on decline of good defensive technique in Test cricket

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir feels T20 cricket has led to the downfall of a… Read More

October 31, 2024

India needs Mumbai Test win before Australia tour – Gautam Gambhir

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir feels the Rohit Sharma-led team desperately needs to win the… Read More

October 31, 2024

I cannot say just the batters have let us down – Gautam Gambhir feels everyone should take responsibility for series loss against New Zealand

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to blame the batters after the team’s 2-0 series… Read More

October 31, 2024

It was insane – Bronny James after scoring his first NBA bucket

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James was on cloud nine after he managed to score… Read More

October 31, 2024

I’m happy with my team’s performance: Mohun Bagan SG head coach Jose Molina after win against Hyderabad FC

Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina was delighted with the team’s performance after… Read More

October 31, 2024