BCCI announced its 15-member T20I squad for the South Africa series today (December 3). Shubman Gill is back in action for the South Africa T20Is and he’s bringing company. Hardik Pandya has also returned to the squad as the BCCI finally revealed India’s long-awaited T20I lineup. And that’s not all, fans got a double treat with the unveiling of India’s brand-new jersey for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Fresh faces, fit-again stars and a fresh look, the countdown to cricket’s biggest stage has officially begun. Hardik Pandya trained for weeks at the BCCI Centre of Excellence and later played in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he smashed an unbeaten 77 off 42 balls.
India squad for T20I series vs SA
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC)*, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar
The selectors convened in Raipur on Wednesday evening and as widely anticipated, reaffirmed Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain. But the real headline-grabber was Shubman Gill’s return not just into the squad, but as vice-captain.
India now enters its final stretch of experimentation; one last, extended audition before plans are locked for the big tournaments ahead.
Balance of stability and opportunity
The top order carries a familiar backbone. Abhishek Sharma and Gill are set to form the opening pair, a combination the team management hopes can deliver both aggression and reliability. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav provide flexibility at No 3 and 4, capable of shifting roles depending on the match situation.
India will face South Africa in five T20Is on December 9, 11, 14, 17, and 19 in Cuttack, Mullanpur, Dharamsala, Lucknow and Ahmedabad.
