The cricket authorities have announced Team India’s upcoming tour of South Africa following the five-match T20 International series against Australia. Mohammed Shami is not included in the One Day International (ODI) and T20 squads, and there is uncertainty about his participation in the Test series.
Mohammed Shami achieved great success as India’s top bowler in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, securing 24 wickets and playing a vital role in India’s journey to the final. Despite this outstanding performance, he is not part of the squad for the upcoming T20 International and One Day International series against South Africa. Although he has been included in the Test team, his presence is somewhat eclipsed by the star players. Notably, the team for the South Africa tour was revealed following the selectors’ meeting in Delhi on Thursday.
India is set to engage in a series that includes three T20 Internationals, three One Day Internationals (ODIs), and two Test matches during their tour of South Africa. Suryakumar Yadav has been given the captaincy responsibility for the T20 Internationals, while KL Rahul will lead the team in the ODI format. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who requested a break from the white-ball series, have been granted their request and will make a comeback for the Test series. In the case of Mohammed Shami, he has the opportunity to participate in the Test series, but he is not part of the squads for the ODIs and T20 series.
One considered reason for excluding Mohammed Shami is workload management, resulting in the fast bowler not being included in the squads for the T20 and One Day International series. Moreover, Mohammed Shami is presently undergoing treatment, and the decision on his involvement in the Test series will hinge on evaluating his fitness. The BCCI, in a press release about the team selection, stated that Shami is currently receiving medical attention, and his availability will depend on his fitness.
As per the news agency PTI, there is an understanding that fast bowler Mohammed Shami will be provided with a chance to regain fitness by the last week of December, just before the start of the Test series. A source mentioned, “Currently, Shami’s injury is not deemed too severe, which is why he has been kept in the team. As a precautionary measure, Krishna has been included as cover in the team.”
The Indian team is as follows!
The T20 International series Indian team includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Jitesh Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, and Deepak Chahar.
The One Day International series Indian team comprises Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudarshan, Tilak Varma, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Lokesh Rahul, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, and Deepak Chahar.
The Test series Indian team features Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Lokesh Rahul, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Prasidh Krishna.
