The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the Indian squad for the upcoming two-match IDFC First Bank Test series against South Africa, beginning later this month. The selection, made by the Men’s Senior Selection Committee, marks another phase of transition for Indian Test cricket as several emerging players join senior campaigners.
Shubman Gill has been named captain of the Test side, with Rishabh Pant returning to international cricket as the vice-captain and wicketkeeper. The squad includes a mix of youth and experience, with established names like KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj forming the core group, while youngsters such as Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, and Dhruv Jurel earn call-ups on the back of impressive domestic and India A performances.
The full squad reads: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK, VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, and Akash Deep.
The BCCI has confirmed that the two-match Test series will be sponsored by IDFC First Bank, with fixtures and venues available on the board’s official website.
In addition to the senior team announcement, the Selection Committee has also finalized the India A squad for a three-match one-day series against South Africa A, scheduled to take place in Rajkot.
The India A one-day team will be led by Tilak Varma, with Ruturaj Gaikwad serving as vice-captain. The squad features several promising young talents, including Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Ishan Kishan, Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, and Arshdeep Singh.
The complete India A squad: Tilak Varma (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Manav Suthar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, and Prabhsimran Singh (WK).
Both teams are expected to assemble in the coming weeks for pre-series preparations. The Test series will be crucial for India’s ongoing World Test Championship campaign, while the India A fixtures will offer a platform for rising stars to push for senior team selection.
