Selectors to name squad for South Africa white-ball series next week; Agarkar to meet Rohit and Kohli over T20I future - Reports 

The BCCI selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, will name the squads for the upcoming South Africa white-ball series sometime in the next week. The Test squad, on the other hand, is expected to be announced after India 'A' complete their tour comprising three four-day matches in December 2023.

The ODI series is not expected to be given much weightage, now with the 2023 ODI World Cup out of the way. The focus will instead be on the T20I squad, keeping the 2024 T20 World Cup, scheduled for June, in mind.

It remains to be seen if senior members are included in the side or will the second-string squad be given another go.

The squad will be picked in the weekend of Monday. There are a lot of things to discuss. But before Tests, we play T20s and ODIs, so squad will be around that,” a senior BCCI official told InsideSport.

With Hardik Pandya still out with an ankle injury that he sustained during the 2023 ODI World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav may lead the team once again in the three-match series, starting from December 10.

However, all of it relies on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's T20I futures. The duo have not played a single T20I since Team India's exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final against England. According to a report by InsideSport, chief selector Ajit Agarkar will hold showdown talks with both of them before the squad is announced.

A decision regarding their involvement will have to be made soon since Team India only have six T20I matches left in preparation for the World Cup after the South Africa tour.

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Hardik Pandya unlikely to be fit in time for South Africa tour

The ace all-rounder is not involved in the ongoing T20I series against Australia, and it is unlikely that he will be fit in time for the upcoming tour of South Africa as well.

“It’s the selection committee’s call. They will be in touch with the NCA (National Cricket Academy) on players’ workload management before taking a call. Hardik is not fit at the moment,” the BCCI official told InsideSport.

According to sources, the selection committee will also take a call on Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul's involvement in the squad. The duo, along with the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, have not been part of the T20I squad for a prolonged period.

Bumrah did make his return through the T20I series against Ireland, where he was leading the side, but prior to that, his last T20I appearance came in September 2022.

How will the selection committee approach the South Africa tour in terms of personnel? Let us know what you think.