Following his SMAT heroics, Kishan has also returned to the Indian team for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
Shubman's T20I series participation against South Africa doubtful; Samson, Jaiswal contenders for the slot
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill's indifferent form is a massive concern but the national selection committee is unlikely to make any shocking changes when it picks the 15-member squad for next year's T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Saturday.
The controversial decision to select Shubman Gill in place of a well-settled Sanju Samson as the opener has backfired for the Indian team so far.
Sanju Samson walked off clutching his side, unable to return for the rest of the innings
The indefatigable duo of Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Siraj is expected to be the big talking point on Saturday when the selectors pick a 15-member Indian ODI squad for a three-match series against New Zealand starting January 11 in Vadodara.
Tilak Varma says out-of-form India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav 'needs just one innings' to rediscover the mojo with which he once dominated bowlers like a marauder.
Buttler admitted that the new environment around him feels different, but he is "excited" to take up something "fresh and interesting".
'Hearts are broken for sure. You've got to feel bad for Shubman Gill.'
Trade analyst Girish Wankhede puts together a curated list of the 25 biggest hits in the first 25 years of the century.
'It will not happen that Dhoni is off the field and leaves someone like Sanju Samson to keep wickets.'
India all-rounder Axar Patel was on Monday ruled out of the remaining two T20 Internationals against South Africa due to illness with the BCCI's selection committee naming Shahbaz Ahmed as his replacement.
Viswanathan added that Chennai's long-term roadmap guided the move.
Ravindra Jadeja's verified account on Instagram is currently unavailable on the social media platform.
With the T20 World Cup less than two months away, India would want their captain Suryakumar Yadav to rediscover his rhythm sooner rather than later.
'Had I been launched as a leading actor, it would probably have worked better.' 'Prabhu Devaa came eight years after me. Maybe if a filmmaker had thought of a film for me like the ones he got, my career would have been a different trajectory.'
Out-of-form India vice-captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the last two T20I games against South Africa with a toe injury, sources close to the team told PTI.
Images from the fifth T20 International between India and South Africa, in Ahmedabad, on Friday.
With India set to name their T20 World Cup 2026 squad on Saturday in Mumbai, the spotlight has firmly shifted to Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav, whose recent struggles have turned the selection meeting into a high-stakes call.
Shubman Gill has been guilty of taking too much load on himself since his T20 comeback and the Indian team wants him to bat as freely as he does in the IPL, said assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.
Gill back in full flow, Hardik opts out of practice ahead of SA T20I series
Captain Suryakumar Yadav believes Hardik Pandya's return will restore the tactical depth and balance of India's T20 team.
With the India and South Africa T20I series levelled 1-1, focus shifts to Gill's form ahead of the third T20 on Sunday in Dharamsala.
Vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra's exhilarating stroke-play was well complemented by Aaron George's composure as India set up an Under-19 Asia Cup summit date with arch-rivals Pakistan after crushing Sri Lanka by eight wickets in a rain-curtailed semi-final, in Dubai, on Friday.
In a league defined by change, Sanju Samson's steadfast presence offers a sense of stability and a genuine chance for the Royals to finally reclaim their long-awaited title
India Captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill once again flopped with the bat as India suffered a 51-run thrashing in the second T20 International against South Africa.
The lack of runs from captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill remains a talking point.
For most IPL teams, the 2026 mini auction will be all about strategic buys and role-specific additions, while for a couple of others, it is going to be a captain-centric affair.
The 34-year-old mystery spinner rewrote the record books during the fifth and final T20I against South Africa at Ahmedabad on Friday, casting a spell of his bamboozling spin magic on the Proteas batters, four of them surrendering to his bowling.
Sanju was excluded from Kerala's squad after he informed the Kerala Cricket Association of his unavailability for the preparatory camp before the tournament.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi was felicitated with the 'Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar' by the President Droupadi Murmu on Friday
Ishan Kishan's return to the Indian T20 setup is a story of timing, perseverance and a domestic season that selectors simply could not overlook.
Ramesh didn't mince words when criticising the decision to send Harshit Rana ahead of Shivam Dube, arguing that the management must respect each player's primary role.
After this snub, it looks difficult for Shubman Gill at this point to make a comeback to the T20 team with plenty of talented young players waiting in the wings.
Shubman Gill's fate wasn't actually sealed on Saturday when BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia announced the squad for the T20 World Cup but when the fourth T20 International was called off on Wednesday due to thick smog.
Kerala will have a new captain in Mohammed Azharuddeen.
"We are only here for a short period....": Samson bids farewell to RR after trade to CSK
"Gill should cement his place at the top order in T20": Irfan Pathan
Ravindra Jadeja agreed to return to the Rajasthan Royals, where he played the first two IPL seasons, taking a pay cut from Rs 18 crore to Rs 14 crore.
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.
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