India Tour Of South Africa: Key Players Including Ravindra Jadeja Yet to Join Squad; First T20I On December 10
December 08,2023India Tour Of South Africa: The Indian Cricket Team received a warm welcome upon their arrival in Durban, South Africa on Thursday ahead of the upcoming all-format series against the hosts, commencing on December 10. But, some of the key players are yet to join the squad for the South Africa tour.
Ravindra Jadeja, the vice-captain for the T20Is, is currently on a tour of Europe and is expected to arrive in South Africa soon. Star opener Shubman Gill, who went on holiday after the World Cup final on November 19, will also be flying in from the UK to join his teammates.
The team is gearing up for a challenging series against South Africa, with a focus on preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup scheduled for June next year.
Suryakumar Yadav, the No1 T20I batter, will lead the T20I side after successfully captaining India to a series victory against Australia at home. KL Rahul has been entrusted with the captaincy of the ODI team, while Rohit Sharma, accompanied by the rested stars Virat Kohli and others in the white-ball leg, will make a return to lead the team in the two-match Test series.
Deepak Chahar, will not be part of the initial contingent to South Africa due to a family issue. His father's illness has kept him back, and the timeline for his arrival remains uncertain. There is no replacement named for Chahar yet. He is included in the One-Day team as well.
All players and the support staff, who are yet to join the team, have taken permission from the BCCI as per Cricbuzz, and it is expected that they will be in Durban well before the first match on December 10.
Two selectors, SS Das and Salil Ankola, are also set to fly to South Africa. The decision to send two selectors is prompted by the multiple formats of the series, including T20Is, ODIs, Tests, and three India A games.
Indian Cricket Team's South Africa Tour Schedule:
1. T20 Series:
- December 10: T20 at Kingsmead, Durban
- December 12: T20 at Gqeberha
- December 14: T20 at Wanderers, Johannesburg
2. ODI Series:
- December 17: ODI at Johannesburg
- December 19: ODI at Gqeberha
- December 21: ODI at Paarl
3. Test Series:
- December 26: 1st Test at Centurion
- January 3: 2nd Test at Newlands, Cape Town
4. India A Games:
- December 11-14: India A Game
- December 20-22: India A Game
- December 26-29: India A Game