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.
Temba Bavuma, who led South Africa to their maiden ICC World Test Championship title and a historic 2-0 series sweep in India, also made the cut, while four Australian players were included.
Ahead of the fourth T20I at Carrara Oval in Queensland, Coach Gautam Gambhir was spotted in a long conversation with Shubman Gill during India's training session.
India gears up for the second match of the three-game T20 series against Afghanistan in Indore on Sunday.
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.
Gill was recently announced skipper of 2022 IPL champions Gujarat Titans
India vice-captain Rohit Sharma on Thursday lauded Punjab youngster Shubman Gill and termed him as the future of Indian cricket. Gill's first tryst with international cricket didn't go off well. He played two One-Day Internationals in New Zealand earlier this year but aggregated just 16 runs in two games. However, Rohit believes that the youngster has a lot of potential and will establish himself in the side once he gets a few opportunities to prove himself.
Virat Kohli, former Test captain, lauded the team's resilience
Shubman Gill feels working on specific technical areas and a minor tweak before a T20 series in New Zealand has worked wonders for his game.
Rahul Dravid had backed Shubman Gill to become India's all-format captain four years ago.
Skipper Shubman Gill, who missed the second Test due to a neck injury, struck a defiant tone of unity and resolve after India's 0-2 series loss to South Africa, saying the team would "rise stronger" despite the setback.
Gill did not come out to bat for India in the second innings as he has suffered a blow of his right elbow.
Youngsters Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy and Riyan Parag got the nod after their impressive performances in IPL 2024 earlier this year.
India's young batting star Shubman Gill reveals how he made the transition from Under-19, India 'A' and domestic cricket to the international level.
Virat Kohli's batting a plus but lots of areas need improvement, says Shubman Gill
The 26 year old rued the dropped catches, which ultimately cost India the match and the series.
In a spectacular display of admiration and affection, Gujarat Titans celebrated their skipper Shubman Gill's birthday by lighting up Ahmedabad with a massive projection.
India batter Shubman Gill doesn't see the role of a number three much different to an opener after deciding to bat lower down the order.
A preview of the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans, focusing on key players like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and the challenges both teams face.
Shubman Gill's vulnerability to straight deliveries is an area of concern, former national batting coach Sanjay Bangar said on Wednesday.
The pitch, left unwatered for nearly a week, appeared dry and brown with faint traces of grass, conditions that could bring reverse swing and variable bounce into play later in the match.
The lack of runs from captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill remains a talking point.
Shubman Gill has a 'smart cricketing brain' and can emerge as leader of the Gujarat Titans in the future due to his conduct and work ethics, said the IPL team's director of cricket Vikram Solanki.
Shubman Gill will return 'better, stronger' after T20 World Cup snub: Gujarat Titans COO
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.
Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes Shubman Gill's injury during the South Africa T20I series earlier this month was the moment when India's World Cup opening combination became clear.
'You have a lot of options if you want to see. You can remove Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill and you can open with Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad...'
Vaughan said one can argue but for him, the India opener is the next big thing in the longest format of the game.
While there are calls for changing the template of India's ODI batting, the Punjab youngster doesn't feel that 400 or 450 runs per innings would be an everyday phenomenon in coming times.
"Gill should cement his place at the top order in T20": Irfan Pathan
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.
Gujarat Titans' star players Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada will be looking to revive their international careers with strong performances in IPL 2026.
Jos Buttler looks to reset mentally after T20 World Cup struggles, aiming for a strong IPL 2026 with Gujarat Titans while managing expectations and pressure.
What's his pet name, who are his idols and who's his best friend in the team...
Captain Shubman Gill backed veteran opener Rohit Sharma despite his below-par showing during India's 2-1 defeat in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand.
Sanju Samson boasts of a superb record in T20 Internationals, with 995 runs in 51 matches at a strike rate of 147.40, including three centuries and as many fifties.
Gill conceded that the third ODI was a bittersweet experience for him as he missed out on his maiden ODI hundred by just two runs
Shubman Gill's loss has been Gujarat Titans' gain as the India opener played a key role in winning the title in their maiden appearance last season.
Shubman Gill on Thursday said he would look to imbibe the 'calmness' that his predecessor Rohit Sharma brought to the dressing room
Shubman Gill's knock was studded with two sixes and five fours.
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