The Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI) announced a change in the squad for the two-match Test series against South Africa starting with the Boxing Day Test at Centurion. Ishan Kishan, who was one of the two wicketkeeping options for India for the two Test matches, will no longer be part of the squad as he has been withdrawn owing to personal reasons. Kishan made his Test debut against the West Indies in July this year and will now be replaced by KS Bharat, who was India's first choice during the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia in February-March.
"Mr Ishan Kishan has requested the BCCI to be released from the upcoming Test series against South Africa citing personal reasons. The wicket-keeper has subsequently been withdrawn from the Test squad," a BCCI statement read. Kishan was part of the Test squad having scored a half-century in the West Indies and hence was rested for the ODIs but now he will miss both assignments.
With Kishan not there, KL Rahul, who is listed as a wicketkeeper, is likely to play his first Test as a designated keeper-batter with Bharat being his backup. Rahul, who has become India's frontline wicketkeeper in the ODIs confirmed that he will take up that role with the gloves and with the bat in the middle order in the whites as well.
The two-match Test series begins on December 26 in Centurion with the second and final game to be played in Cape Town from January 3-7 in the new year. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah all will return for the two games after a much-needed break from the game following a demanding World Cup 2023.
India's Test squad for South Africa series: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk)
