BCCI has announced the India A squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa A in Rajkot. Tilak Verma was named captain of India A for the ODI series against South Africa A, while Ruturaj Gaikwad will be his vice-captain.
The team has familiar faces like Abhishek Sharma and Riyan Parag, along with the formidable Ishan Kishan and Prabhsimran Singh. Ayush Badoni and Nishant Sindhu bring new energy to the team. Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana have also been selected for the 50-over game against South Africa A.
Tilak Verma will captain India A against South Africa A
However, India’s biggest stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are once again missing India A matches. He opted to rest and prepare himself ahead of the upcoming ODI series against South Africa.
The former Indian captain will return for only three ODIs in South Africa before taking another extended break ahead of the New Zealand tour.
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In his absence, all attention focuses on India. Captain Tilak Verma in the upcoming three-match ODI series to be held in Rajkot on 13, 16 and 19 November.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will not play in South Africa ODI
While Rohit and Kohli’s decision to quit the game is not surprising, it has once again raised questions about their limited match practice, as both players have already retired from the Test and T20I formats. He only has a few series left before the ICC World Cup 2027, so his break could prove costly in the long run.
Their recent matches against Australia showed glimpses of talent but also signs of rust. Rohit struggled early in the series before bouncing back with scores of 73 and 121, while Kohli took time to regain form, and was out for two consecutive ducks before finishing the series with 74 not out.
Those ODIs were his first competitive fixtures in eight months. As he continues to miss domestic cricket and India A tours, his form depends almost entirely on the practice nets and limited international fixtures. While this may not affect them much in a low-pressure bilateral series, it could become a real concern as India prepare for the ICC World Cup 2027.
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India A squad for ODI match against South Africa A:
Tilak Verma (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad (VC), Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Manav Suthar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed.
On the other hand, Rishabh Pant returns to India’s Test squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa starting from November 14 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The second and final test will be held in Guwahati. After Pant proved his fitness and form in India A’s win over South Africa A, N. Replaced Jagadeesan, where he played an important inning of 90 runs.
Patt was recalled to India after recovering from a leg fracture suffered against England in July. Shubman Gill will lead the team, while Pant will be the vice-captain. The squad includes KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj for the Proteas team.