The BCCI has announced an 18-man squad for the three-match ODI series against South Africa. As expected, Rohit Sharma will not lead the team, instead KL Rahul has been made the captain. Apart from this, Jasprit Bumrah has been made the vice-captain.
The eyes of the selectors were on Rohit who was recovering from injury at NCA, Bengaluru. However, as soon as he was informed that he would not recover in time, he hired a different captain.
The 34-year-old is currently at his Mumbai residence; It has been reported that it may take at least four-six weeks for them to become fully fit. The three-match series starts on January 19 in Paarl.
Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan is also making a comeback. Mohammed Shami has been rested. Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja are not fit, so they also missed.
Here is the full squad: KL Rahul (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Chahal, Ashwin, Sundar, Bumrah (VC) ), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Famous Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Siraji
Earlier it was reported by PTI that the BCCI has decided to postpone the meeting of the selection committee for the ODIs in South Africa till the end of this month due to the condition of the left hamstring injury of new white-ball captain Rohit Sharma. to get a clear picture. Rohit is doing his rehabilitation program at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) but it may still take some time for the Indian captain to be fully fit.
“The team selection meeting will take place after the first Test. It could happen on December 30 or 31 but BCCI is yet to take a final call. Rohit is trying his best to get fit but a hamstring injury is a bit different from other injuries.
“It is learned that Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel are not available for selection. Regarding Rohit, a call will be taken closer to the selection date,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
The unavailability of Jadeja and Axar had opened the door for R Ashwin to make a comeback in ODIs after four years. Earlier the selection meeting was to be held just after the Hazare Trophy, but it was pushed back to ensure Rohit got a chance to clear the fitness test. Youngsters like Venkatesh Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad have been rewarded with spots.