All-rounder Axar Patel was named vice-captain of the squad, which also saw the return of in-form Ishan Kishan, who pipped Jitesh Sharma as the second wicketkeeper behind Sanju Samson.
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill is "ready to start" ahead of the first T20I against South Africa of the five-match series, which will take place on December 9.
'The brand of cricket we wanted to play was the same, result is in front of us.'
What stood out on Wednesday wasn't just the dominant win -- it was the sight of Wankhede fans cheering loudly for a man they once booed. The redemption was complete.
Kishan's statement knock, Surya's welcome fifty give India 2-0 lead
'Jitesh Sharma has shown he is quite a capable player. He can bat lower down the order and look to hit the big shots even with a slightly older ball.'
Hardik Pandya ditched tradition and brought back the streets-style swag - skipping the coin toss in favour of a classic gully cricket
SMAT 2025: Hardik comeback on cards, chance for rich domestic talent to shine before IPL auction
Sunil Gavaskar hails Varun Chakravarthy as a 'magician' after his key wickets in India's first T20I win over New Zealand in Nagpur.
'Gill is recovering really well, it's a speedy recovery.'
'When Hardik was dropped from the Zimbabwe tour, coach Sanjay Bangar called, telling him to work hard and not lose focus.' 'This really motivated Hardik to do better and he emerged one of the star performers during India A's tour of Australia.'
A BCCI source said that while the Indian ODI squad for the New Zealand series is assembling in Vadodara by January 8, there is a possibility that Kohli might arrive a day earlier and train.
The Indian trio of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy and aggressive opener Abhishek Sharma retained their respective top positions in the ICC T20 rankings.
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya bowled in top-flight cricket for the first time since returning from a back surgery more than a year ago, with his team under pressure against Australia during the second ODI in Sydney on Sunday.
'If Hardik doesn't bowl, it disturbs the balance of the side hugely'
A shortened game will be like a sprint where the risk element will be high. Who will win when emotion meets execution remains to be seen. K R Nayar reports from Colombo.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the opening match against USA?
Hardik Pandya said he had always focused more on the process rather than the end result.
The T20 WC champions will look to enter this phase with clarity of intent as they refine roles, streamline combinations and settle the XI that will carry the weight of expectations in front of home crowds.
The all-rounder is at the top of the MVP table more because of his batting than his bowling, note Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji.
In the chase, India lost Shubman Gill for a golden duck, while Marco Jansen got rid of Abhishek Sharma and India skipper Suryakumar Yadav, before Baartman broke the 35-run stand between Axar Patel and Varma.
Indian pace spearhead Ashish Nehra is pleased to see the rise of Hardik Pandya and has words of praise for the youngster.
Sunil Gavaskar believes Abhishek Sharma is struggling with expectations in the T20 World Cup and advises him to avoid risky shots early in his innings. Gavaskar also praises Shivam Dube and Varun Chakravarthy's performances and suggests potential changes for the Super 8 clash against South Africa.
Suryakumar Yadav slammed a blistering 82 from 37 balls to power India to a thumping seven-wicket victory against New Zealand in the third T20I in Raipur on Friday.
Nayan Mongia expresses his candid views on Haridk Pandya and also sheds light on Kohli's captaincy.
IPL 2025: Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya registers unwanted record with 11-ball over against GT
Skipper Hardik Pandya was fined Rs 12 lakh for Mumbai Indians's slow over-rate in the Indian Premier League match against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
Pandya is undergoing rehabilitation after suffering a lower-back injury during the Asia Cup in Dubai.
Ravichandran Ashwin says Suryakumar Yadav's cameo in the opening T20I was a key World Cup boost, while backing India's World Cup combination and calling Arshdeep Singh a marquee bowler.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav on Wednesday climbed five places to seventh in the ICC men's T20I rankings
India will be hoping that Abhishek Sharma returns to his destructive ways and the other batters up their game against spin when the side takes the field for its final T20 World Cup league fixture against the Netherlands.
'Isn't it silly to call India-Pakistan cricket's greatest rivalry when Pakistan has won only once out of the last eight T20 World Cup encounters?'
India appear well set for T20 World Cup title defence, feels former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.
Hardik Pandya, who was forced to take up new ball duties in the Champions Trophy due to the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, said his natural fighting abilities helped him adjust to the new role.
The former South African batter pointed out that Rana does not have a lot of international experience with the new ball, but is well supported in the pace department.
Opener Abhishek Sharma's explosive unbeaten 68 off 20 balls set up a comprehensive eight-wicket victory against New Zealand.in the third match in Guwahati
Walking in with the run rate climbing, Shivam Dube launched a stunning counterattack that briefly swung the momentum in India's favour.
Hardik Pandya seemed to be in a happy mood as son Agastya joined him for a practice session.
The iconic Wankhede stadium witnessed a remarkable shift in sentiment as the Mumbai Indians launched their IPL 2025 campaign on Monday.
In this rivalry, numbers fade and national pride takes centre stage.
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