The team's balance puzzle once again took centre stage on Tuesday night, even as individual performances from the ongoing series highlighted why leaving either out is a tough ask.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar identified Shubman Gill's recent lack of runs and combination compulsions as reasons for his omission from India's squad for the T20 World Cup.
India has now won each of the seven T20I series it has been part of since winning the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Shubman Gill's form in the series is a concern for India as he has now gone six games without a half-century.
India beat South Africa by seven wickets on Sunday to take a 2-1 lead in the T20 series after their bowlers skittled the tourists for 117, with Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh's performance setting up the platform for a dominant win for the hosts in Dharamsala.
Players of both India A and Pakistan Shaheens teams on Sunday avoided handshakes before the start of their match in the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament here, continuing the trend started by the senior side during the Asia Cup in September.
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.
Hardik Pandya marked his return to the Indian team from a two-month injury layoff with a match-winning half-century.
Suryakumar Yadav hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's support and enthusiasm after Team India won their 9th Asia Cup trophy
Loss to Australia in 2023 WC still rankles Surya, wants to play them in next year's T20 showpiece final
The charismatic presence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma alongside a host of top India cricketers lends unprecedented gravitas to the Vijay Hazare One-Day Trophy beginning on Wednesday, giving all of them a chance to prove a point amid a renewed focus on domestic grind.
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.
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.
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.
India batter Suryakumar Yadav on Wednesday said he has undergone a surgery after suffering from sports hernia.
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 should cement his place at the top order in T20": Irfan Pathan
Nearly three decades after the ambitious project was first conceived to decongest the existing airport in the financial capital, the greenfield Navi Mumbai International Airport became a reality on Thursday as an IndiGo Airbus A320 from Bengaluru landed on the tarmac at 8 am amid a traditional water cannon salute.
In a rain-marred contest at Canberra, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav lit up the night with a couple of towering sixes - enough to take him into an elite club of T20I power-hitters, becoming only the second Indian after Rohit Sharma to reach 150 sixes in the format.
The ICC has imposed a 30 percent fine on the match fees of India's Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf for breaching the Code of Conduct during the India-Pakistan Asia Cup tie. Both players were found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute.
India's players celebrated with empty hands, making cricket history for all the wrong reasons.
'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?'
The Indian men ruled white-ball cricket, while South Africa ended decades of hurt by winning the World Test Championship at Lord's. Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted their maiden IPL title, though the celebrations were dimmed by a deadly stampede. Above all, it was India's women who won a billion hearts by finally adding an ICC World Cup trophy to the cabinet.
Washington Sundar enhanced his reputation as a T20 hitter with India batting in top gear through the innings to comfortably chase down a target of 187 for a series levelling five-wicket win over Australia.
'I'll tell you one thing straight away, that trust me, these two guys are going to win matches in World Cup (in February-March) and in this series as well.'
The 33-year-old is virtually assured of his place in the India squad for the T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies but was out for a duck in his first match of the season against Delhi Capitals on Sunday.
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.
Suryakumar Yadav-led India ready for Aussie challenge as T20 World Cup preparation begins.
'I have decided to donate my match fees from this tournament to support our Armed Forces and the families of the victims who suffered from the Pahalgam terror attack. You always remain in my thoughts. Jai Hind.'
Eventually, the speculations cleared up after it was confirmed by the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia. He disclosed that India had refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy during the presentation ceremony from ACC Chairman Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan's interior minister.
The Asia Cup champions will not have it easy against the Mitch Marsh-led Aussies at home as the Indians were seen going hard in the nets on Monday.
Suryakumar Yadav was back in his element with some spectacular hits but inclement weather proved to be a complete dampener as the first T20 International against Australia was called off
This will be their first encounter after the controversy-filled the Asia Cup earlier this year, in which India refused to shake hands with the Pakistan players.
Suryakumar Yadav had a heartfelt chat with Sri Lanka's young spinner Dunith Wellalage who lost his father on September 18.
Shreyas Iyer sustained a lower left rib cage injury while attempting a difficult running catch during the third ODI against Australia in Sydney.
Towards the end of the video, backup wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma perfectly summed up the frosty challenge clutching his hoodie tightly around his ears and showing off his thin gloves.
Former India seamer Venkatesh Prasad backed Suryakumar Yadav's men to dominate once again against Pakistan on Sunday.
Images from the fifth T20 International between India and South Africa, in Ahmedabad, on Friday.
Sawant congratulated the Indian team for winning the Asia Cup and also congratulated Yadav for giving the winning amount to the Indian Army.
India's T20 World Cup squad had space for only 15, but the pool of quality options ran far deeper. The consequence was inevitable: several players with genuine claims were left on the outside, the unlucky ones who narrowly missed the cut.
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