MS Dhoni Not In Indian Cricket Team For South Africa T20s; Hardik Pandya Returns

MS Dhoni will not be there when India take on South Africa in a three-match T20I series, starting September 15 at Dharamshala. Hardik Pandya, who was rested for the tour of West Indies, has been named in the 15-member squad.

Outlook Web Bureau

Updated on: 30 August 2019 9:18 am

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming T20I series against visiting South Africa. (More Cricket News)

As widely reported, legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni has not been named in the squad. Besides the former captain, other big players who have not been named in the 15 are pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Also Read: Dhoni's Return Unlikely As Selectors Ready To Persist With Pant

But star all-rounder Hardik Pandya returns to the national team after being rested for the ongoing series in the West Indies. The 25-year-old all-rounder, who last played at the 2019 World Cup

Also Read: Dhoni Ends His Two-Week Stint With Territorial Army... What Next?

Here is the squad:

Virat Kohli(c), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Rahul Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini

India’s squad for 3 T20Is against South Africa: Virat(Capt), Rohit (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Rahul Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini#INDvSA
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 29, 2019

Earlier, it was reported that the Indian selectors are ready to move on from Dhoni and get a pool of three wicketkeepers for the limited-overs cricket, with Pant being the top-pick.

This latest snub, or whatever, has put Dhoni's future in international cricket in a jeopardy.

Also Read: Ganguly Gives His Opinion On Dhoni's Imminent Retirement

Meanwhile, young batsman Shubman Gill's wait continues. The 19-year-old, who has many backers for his inclusion in the national side, including former captain Sourav Ganguly, was once again failed to make the cut.

India will take on South Africa in a three-match series, starting September 15 at Dharamshala. The second T20I will be played in Mohali on September 18 and the third will be played in Bengaluru on September 22.