The Men in Blue, including Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, head coach Rahul Dravid, Mohammed Siraj, and others, departed from Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, marking the beginning of their tour.
Their comprehensive tour of South Africa commences on December 10 with a three-match T20I series, concluding on December 14. Subsequently, the ODI leg of the white-ball series begins on December 17 and culminates on September 21.
Notably, key players like skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah will be absent for the white-ball segment. Suryakumar Yadav, the top-ranked T20I batter, will lead the T20I team, while KL Rahul will captain the ODI team. Emerging talents like Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Sai Sudarshan, and Rajat Patidar have earned call-ups for the ODI squad.
The senior players are slated to return for the crucial two-match Test series, starting with the first Test in Centurion from December 26 and the second Test in Cape Town from January 3 next year. Indian fans await this red-ball segment eagerly, hoping for India’s first-ever Test series victory in South Africa.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced their squads against India for the multi-format series at home, commencing December 10.
South Africa’s Test squad for the India series welcomes fast bowler Nandre Burger and batters David Bedingham and Tristan Stubbs, marking their maiden call-ups. Additionally, wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne has been recalled.
Aiden Markram will lead both the T20I and ODI squads, while Temba Bavuma takes charge of the Test squad.
Bavuma and pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada will be rested from the white-ball series. Anrich Nortje, sidelined from the World Cup due to a lower back stress fracture, remains unavailable across all formats without a confirmed timeline for recovery.
Stubbs earns his inaugural Test call-up, joining Bedingham and Burger as fresh additions bolstering the South African Test squad.
(Inputs from ANI)
