Indian cricket team
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday named the 15-man squad for the impending South Africa ODI series which begins from March 12 onwards with Shikhar Dhawan and fit-again Bhuvneshwar Kumar along with Hardik Pandya making their return to the squad. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill too has been recalled to the limited-overs side for the first time since his debut in ODIs in New Zealand last year.
Opener Shikhar, who missed the New Zealand series owing to a shoulder injury in back in the lineup, but his partner Rohit Sharma remains on the sidelines because of the calf injury he incurred during the New Zealand T20I series. This implies Shikhar, who replaced Mayank Agarwal in the lineup, will open most likely open with Prithvi Shaw, give that he was one of the openers during the ODIs in New Zealand. Shubman will serve as a back-up option, while KL Rahul will resume his work at No.5.
Bhuvneshwar too is back having played his last during the T20I series against West Indies at home. Since then, he missed the Sri Lanka T20Is and the Australia ODIs at home and the tour of New Zealand. Hardik as well joins the squad having missed most of India's home campaign and the tour of New Zealand.
Pandya's comeback was eagerly awaited by the team management after he underwent a back surgery. He proved his fitness with some blazing innings in the DY Patil Corporate T20 tournament under the watchful eyes of former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad.
India squad for South Africa ODI series: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli (C), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill.
The three ODIs will be played in Dharamsala (March 12), Lucknow (March 15) and Kolkata (March 18).
(With PTI inputs)
