India made known their selection of 15 players for the South Africa T20I series on Wednesday. The stand-in captain, Suryakumar Yadav, is going to take command of the team in these five T20Is beginning December 9. A big spotlight on his captaincy, as India will be juggled around different combinations in preparation for the T20 World Cup.
South Africa, however, will have some big names back in the mix, some new players in the team and the odd surprising exclusion. Let’s go behind the scenes.
India’s prized all-rounder Hardik Pandya has returned to the squad after almost three months of not playing because of injury. He adds both strength and equilibrium to the squad, making India have the choice of an extra bowler and batter.
Shubman Gill, who is India’s vice-captain in T20I, has been given a place in the squad but his role will depend on the condition of his health after the neck injury he received during the first Test match against Australia in Kolkata.
Among the players omitted from the Indian T20I squad are Rinku Singh and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy who were recently part of the T20I team.
Rinku Singh gone again, despite performing well
Rinku Singh is one of the players who has been out of the team even though he has done well in domestic cricket and IPL. He made 206 runs in IPL 2025 and was the star in the Uttar Pradesh T20 league with an average of 62, including a century. In the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season, his average was 34 and he scored two centuries in the innings.
Even though Rinku was in great form, he couldn’t get to bat in Australia and was only included in the XI for the last T20I, which was washed out after a mere 4.5 overs of play.
The team management seems to be giving preference to those players who can bat deep into the order along with their capability to bowl.
Nitish Kumar Reddy misses out; why?
Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made his ODI debut against Australia during Hardik’s injury, has been dropped too. His batting and bowling were quite below par; he managed to score only 27 runs in two innings and remained wicketless.
Hardik’s return has created a situation of plenty in the all-rounder department, as Shivam Dube and Hardik have occupied the spots of fast-bowling all-rounder, so Reddy is not in the T20I squad.
Nitish Kumar Reddy misses out; why?
Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made his ODI debut against Australia during Hardik’s injury, has been dropped too. His batting and bowling were quite below par; he managed to score only 27 runs in two innings and remained wicketless.
Hardik’s return has created a situation of plenty in the all-rounder department, as Shivam Dube and Hardik have occupied the spots of fast-bowling all-rounder, so Reddy is not in the T20I squad.
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