Overview
- India’s 15-member T20I squad for the South Africa series includes a fit-again Hardik Pandya, with Washington Sundar preferred over Rinku Singh.
- Irfan Pathan said Rinku’s exclusion was expected once Hardik returned and assessed this group as 90–95% of India’s 2026 T20 World Cup core.
- Pathan highlighted possible combinations featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube alongside three spinners, calling Hardik the pivotal influence.
- Mohammad Kaif defended the selection, saying Rinku was the only realistic player to make way to accommodate Hardik’s return.
- Shubman Gill has been cleared to play after rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, and the five-match T20I series opens on December 9 in Cuttack.