New Delhi: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were rested from the white-ball leg of India’s tour of South Africa as the BCCI announced the T20I squad for a 3-match series from December 10. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the T20I team and Ravindra Jadeja who is back to T20I fold after a year is the vice-captain.

Suryakumar Yadav will lead the T20I team

Hardik Pandya, who lead India in 11 T20Is in 2023, is nursing an ankle injury he picked up in the recently concluded ODI World Cup. Hardik is likely to be out of action for a couple more months.

It was speculated that Rohit Sharma would lead India in the T20I series in South Africa but the Indian cricket board confirmed in its release that both Rohit and fellow senior batter Virat Kohli requested a break from the white-ball leg of the tour.

“Rohit Sharma and Mr Virat Kohli had requested the Board for a break from the white-ball leg of the tour,” the BCCI said.

Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja, who is returning to the T20I set up for the first time since Asia Cup 2022 in August, has been named the vice-captain of the side.

Kuldeep Yadav, who played a key role in the ODI World Cup, is back for the T20I series in South Africa. He was rested for the 5-match series against Australia.

Deepak Chahar who was drafted late into the squad for Australia series retains his place while Mohammed Siraj is also back after the break following his World Cup campaign.

Newly-appointed Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill is also back after his break for the T20Is in South Africa.

India’s squad for 3 T20Is: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Deepak Chahar.