The Indian Cricket Board has recently unveiled the squads for two major upcoming cricket series – the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia and the South Africa T20 series. This announcement has brought several new faces into the spotlight, surprising fans and experts alike with some unexpected selections.
Exciting Additions to the Australia Test Series Squad
India’s five-match Test series against Australia under the Border-Gavaskar Trophy holds immense significance, particularly for the World Test Championship. The squad for this series includes some fresh talent, with Delhi pacer Harshit Rana and Andhra all-rounder Nitish Reddy earning their maiden call-ups. Both are expected to bring new energy and depth to the Indian bowling attack.
Meanwhile, seasoned bowler Mohammed Shami will not be part of the Test series, and Kuldeep Yadav is also missing due to a long-standing back issue. This makes way for all-rounder Washington Sundar, who has been in impressive form during the current Test series against New Zealand.
South Africa T20 Series: Fresh Talent Ready to Shine
For the T20 series against South Africa, India’s squad features several exciting players. Karnataka pacer Vishak Vijaykumar and Punjab batsman Ramandeep Singh have been included, marking their debut in international cricket. This four-match series, starting on November 8, promises to be a high-octane affair with India looking to experiment with young talent.
Fast bowler Mayank Yadav, unfortunately, misses out due to injury, while Abhimanyu Easwaran has been selected as backup for captain Rohit Sharma. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the T20 side, with notable names like Sanju Samson and Rinku Singh supporting the team’s batting lineup.
Why Kuldeep Yadav Won’t Travel to Australia
Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav will not be available for the Australian series as he seeks long-term treatment for his back injury. The decision to send him to the BCCI Center of Excellence for rehabilitation is crucial to ensuring his full recovery for future assignments.
India’s Test Squad for Border-Gavaskar Trophy:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Jasprit Bumrah (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khalil Ahmed
India’s T20 Squad for South Africa Series:
Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Jitesh Sharma (Wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakraborty, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vaishya, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.
