Captain Suryakumar Yadav believes Hardik Pandya's return will restore the tactical depth and balance of India's T20 team.
In India's first innings, only Yashasvi Jaiswal (58 off 97 balls) and Washington Sundar (48 off 92 balls) could contribute substantially as the home team suffered a batting collapse after starting the day at 9 for no loss.
Shubman Gill is set to make a comeback during the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting in Cuttack, on December 9.
'Myself, Shubman, we could have given a good start because we can't rely on Abhishek all the time.'
India came up with a spirited performance to beat two-time champions Egypt 3-0 and make their maiden appearance in the Squash World Cup final, in Chennai on Saturday.
The once familiar sight of nimble-footed, whippywristed Indian batters dominating spin looks a distant memory, replaced by the horror of watching South Africa off-spinner Simon Harmer wreak havoc by taking 17 wickets over the two Tests.
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.
India's chances of reaching the World Test Championship finals (WTC) took a major hit as they slipped to the fifth spot in standings following their embarrassing 0-2 series whitewash to South Africa at home.
Quinton de Kock had retired from ODIs after the 2023 World Cup and had not played T20Is since the loss to India in the 2024 T20 World Cup final until October.
Pandya's return from a nearly two-month layoff due left quadriceps injury propelled India to a massive 101-run win against South Africa in the opening T20I in Cuttack on Tuesday.
India skipper KL Rahul said his side needed to be sharper in key moments but felt the toss played a decisive role in the home team's four-wicket loss to South Africa in the second ODI, in Raipur, on Tuesday.
Fans boo Gambhir after 408-run hammering; Kotak, Siraj step in to douse fire
The fourth T20I between India and South Africa in Lucknow was called off without a ball being bowled on Wednesday, as dense fog and worsening air quality rendered playing conditions unsafe at the Ekana stadium.
At stumps, Sai Sudharsan and Kuldeep Yadav were at the crease with India requiring another 522 runs to win and level the two-Test series.
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.
South Africa completed a memorable 2-0 series sweep against India after off-spinner Simon Harmer claimed 6/37 to bowl the Proteas to a comprehensive 408-run victory in the second Test,
India's T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill will be reporting at Bengaluru's Centre of Excellence on Monday for his mandatory fitness assessment protocols, which will determine his return to action for the upcoming five-match series against South Africa starting December 9.
After a clutch performance in the third T2OI against South Africa, Indian seamer Arshdeep Singh indulged in some friendly banter with bowling coach Morne Morkel, who received unwanted screen time during Arshdeep's poor performance during the 2nd T20I match.
Harshit Rana was on Wednesday reprimanded and handed out one demerit point by the ICC for his aggressive behaviour after dismissing South African batter Dewald Brevis during the first ODI.
'He (Pandya) can command a spot in the top five on his batting alone. He could also be one of the top three seamers in any team if he was just a bowler.'
At this moment, the Indian think tank is doing a tough balancing act of building the team around a new set of players without completely cutting ties with the old guard.
Shubman's T20I series participation against South Africa doubtful; Samson, Jaiswal contenders for the slot
Lungi Ngidi's call-up indicates that Kagiso Rabada, who missed the team's memorable win in Kolkata due to a rib injury, is still uncertain for the Guwahati Test
He also expressed satisfaction with the talent coming through in the Pakistan Shaheens squad and from domestic cricket, and claimed that 3-4 players were ready to step into international cricket.
'The will to work and commitment to put in work is as high as it has ever been.'
Later, priests honoured the visitors with the temple's Shesha Vasthram (sacred cloth) and presented them with the deity's portrait and prasadam on behalf of the Devasthanam.
Though Shubman Gill travelled with the Indian team to Guwahati on Wednesday, his injury is unlikely to heal in time ahead of the second Test, which begins on Saturday.
Runs have dried up for Suryakumar, with his last T20I fifty coming back in October 2024. With the World Cup less than two months away, the pressure has begun to mount.
Reacting to the signing, Jayawardene admitted that Mumbai Indians (MI) benefitted from a bit of fortune on the day.
Team India on Friday went through an optional net session in Visakhapatnam on Friday with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Tilak Varma sweating it out under lights ahead of the ODI series decider against South Africa.
'Just like we are playing in the T20 series. We don't want to change anything. If we are doing something right, why should we change it?'
Guwahati made its debut as the newest Test match centre as India took on South Africa in the second and final game of the two-match series on Saturday.
Captain Shubman Gill will travel with the Indian team to Guwahati for second Test against South Africa, starting on Saturday, but his participation is still not confirmed.
Afghanistan keeper batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz has no hesitation in admitting former KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir as the "best coach" that he has played under.
Jadeja returned to haunt South Africa with the ball after the Proteas came out to bat for the second time in the match.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will develop an international-standard exotic birds park at Nahur to create a new tourism attraction. The park will feature 24 independent habitats designed to replicate the birds' natural environments and will house rare and colourful species from Australia, Africa and America.
AB de Villiers rolled back the years with a blistering unbeaten century as South Africa Champions crushed Pakistan Champions by 9 wickets to win their maiden World Championship of Legends (WCL) title.
Fan breaches security to greet Virat Kohli following his 52nd ODI ton during Ranchi ODI vs SA
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar strongly defended India head coach Gautam Gambhir despite the humiliating 0-2 series whitewash at the hands of South Africa.
Yashasvi Jaiswal: Have selectors told him where he stands in white ball cricket?
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