No Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya & Yashasvi Jaiswal To Return? India’s Likely Squad For T20I Series Against South Africa | Cricket News

Last Updated:December 02, 2025, 18:52 IST

Hardik last played for India in the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4s match against Sri Lanka on September 26, whereas Jaiswal’s last T20I match for India was in July 2024.

India’s likely squad for T20I series against South Africa. (Picture Credit: X/@BCCI)

The Indian men’s cricket team will face South Africa in a five-match T20I series from December 9 to 19. If reports are to be believed, then the BCCI selectors will announce India’s squad for the five 20-over matches on Wednesday. Shubman Gill is the vice-captain of India’s T20I side, but he has been out of action since November 15 due to a neck injury and is unlikely to be part of the T20I squad. There is no official update on Gill’s recovery, and the board is expected to give him enough time to gain full fitness. In Gill’s absence, left-handed batter Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to be part of the squad.

Jaiswal, who has 723 runs to his credit in 23 T20Is played so far, last played a 20-over match for the Men in Blue in Pallekele on July 30, 2024, against Sri Lanka. He was surprisingly not picked in India’s squad for the Asia Cup 2025 and was not considered for the five-match series in Australia as well.

It will, however, be interesting to see if he opens the innings for the hosts because before Gill, Sanju Samson used to open the innings in T20Is for Team India with world No. 1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma, and the Kerala-based stumper did a decent job as the top-order batter.

Sanju is expected to retain his place in the T20I squad as wicketkeeper-batter, but it will be interesting to see if Rishabh Pant is considered. If Pant is picked, then Jitesh Sharma may lose his spot; otherwise, the Baroda stumper will be India’s second-choice wicketkeeper-batter.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya missed the Asia Cup 2025 final on September 28 against Pakistan in Dubai due to an injury, but on Tuesday (December 2) he made a successful return to competitive cricket with an unbeaten 77-run knock for Baroda against Punjab in Hyderabad during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match. In the fixture where his team chased down the target of 223 runs in 19.1 overs, Hardik, apart from scoring 77 runs, also bowled four overs to prove his fitness.

Hardik’s return will mean the end of the road for Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was part of the T20I squad in Australia but didn’t get a chance to play any of the five matches.

Mumbai’s Shivam Dube is all set to be the second fast-bowling all-rounder option for India.

Axar Patel is India’s first-choice spin-bowling all-rounder in T20Is, and Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy are two specialist spinners. Washington Sundar impressed with his all-round show in Australia and won the third T20I in Hobart with his batting on November 2. He is also expected to retain his place in the XI.

Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana will be the three fast bowling options, and for the middle-order batter role, Tilak Varma is an automatic pick along with captain Suryakumar Yadav. It will be interesting to see if Rinku Singh is considered for a place in the side. Rinku was part of India’s Asia Cup and Australia series squad but has only played one ball in the last nine months.

India-South Africa T20I series schedule

India’s likely squad for the T20I series against South Africa: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (WK), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana

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