Team India For South Africa Tour 2023-24 Key Takeaways: Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli Cast Suspense Over ODI, T20I Career; Suryakumar Yadav Demoted

Add as a preferred source on Google

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday (November 30) announced the Indian men's cricket squads (Test, ODI and T20I) for the upcoming tour of South Africa.

India will be playing three T20Is and as many ODIs apart from two Tests against the Proteas Down Under. This will be the first overseas tour for Team India after the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, where they finished runners-up. Below are the key takeaways from the announcement of all three squads for South Africa tour:

Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli skip limited-overs format

The names of captain Rohit Sharma and his predecessor Virat Kohli are missing from the ODI squad. The selectors have accepted Rohit's request for a break from white ball cricket. India squad for South Africa Series: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli rested for white-ball leg, Samson named in ODI squad

Rohit was also offered T20 captaincy on the tour but the Mumbaikar didn't accept. It is also being said that the board wants Rohit to lead India in the T20 World Cup 2024 but it will be interesting to see if the senior cricketer - who is the designated all-format captain of the Indian national cricket team - is willing to accept it.

The BCCI also accepted Kohli's request for a break from limited overs games. The senior cricketer - the player of the tournament in the just concluded ODI World Cup at home - will not be participating in the ODI and T20I series against South Africa.

Kohli-Rohit to play only Test series vs South Africa

With Team India's focus on the ICC World Test Championship Cycle 2023-25, captain Rohit Sharma and senior-pro, Virat Kohli, will be playing both Tests against South Africa, starting December 26.

Presence of Rohit and Kohli - two senior-most batters in the side - will balance the team's composition as Team India aims to win its maiden Test series in the Rainbow nation. Rohit will be leading Team India in the red-ball format in South Africa.

Jasprit Bumrah named India Test vice-captain

Senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah - who captained Team India in the rescheduled fifth Test against England last year in the absence of Rohit Sharma - has been appointed Rohit's deputy for the Test series. The right-arm pacer will be shouldering the pace attack duties alongside Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed Shami, and Prasidh Krishna.

Rumours floating in social media that Bumrah isn't happy with his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians for bringing in Hardik Pandya and offering him captaincy ahead of the upcoming IPL 2024 season. Bumrah was the vice-captain of MI until last season and many backed him to succeed Rohit Sharma as the next skipper of the franchise.

KL Rahul to lead Team India in ODI Series Vs South Africa

KL Rahul - the vice-captain of the Indian side after Hardik Pandya was ruled out of the ODI World Cup - has been named the captain of the 50-over squad. Rahul might also perform the wicketkeeper's duties in the series. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been made Rahul's deputy on the tour.

The ODI squad comprises fresh faces like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Tilak Varma, Rajat Patidar, and Rinku Singh. Sanju Samson is the second designated wicketkeeper of the ODI side, and he found a spot in only the 50-overs squad.

Suryakumar Yadav To Only Play T20Is For Team India?

Suryakumar Yadav has only been picked up for the T20I side and the right-handed batter from Mumbai will also be leading the team in the 20-over format. The T20I side is brimming with young faces such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, etc.

By keeping Suryakumar to just the T20I side, the selectors have hinted that the Mumbaikar - who faced a lot of criticism during the ODI World Cup for not being able to live up to the expectations in the final - will be restricted to playing T20s in the T20 World Cup year. SKY is the No.1 ranked T20I batter currently.

End of Test Careers for Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Umesh Yadav?

Senior India batter Ajinkya Rahane, who scored 89 in the World Test Championship final, might have played his last Test along with Chesteshwar Pujara. Pujara also last featured in the WTC Final against Australia where he too failed to make an impression with the bat. The two slots that Rahane and Pujara had now belong to Rahul and Iyer.