IPL team-wise list of Indian players picked for the South Africa series
The BCCI announced the Indian squads for all three formats for the upcoming tour of South Africa late on Thursday evening. There were plenty of highlights and talking points about the team, which has received a largely positive response from experts and fans alike.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli won't be a part of the T20Is and ODIs, with the duo set to join the team for the red-ball leg where Rohit will lead. Suryakumar Yadav will continue to lead the T20I side, while KL Rahul is set to captain in the ODIs.
A whopping 31 different players have been selected across the three formats, and that means that fans of the ten IPL teams will have a host of their favorites playing for their country in December. Let's now look at the IPL team-wise list of the Indian players picked for the South Africa series.
Note: Shardul Thakur is the only player not in any IPL team at present.
#1 Chennai Super Kings
Players in the Indian Squad: Ravindra Jadeja (T20Is and Tests), Deepak Chahar (T20Is and ODIs), and Ruturaj Gaikwad (All formats).
Ruturaj Gaikwad is one of the few players to feature in the squads for all three formats. The CSK opener has hit a purple patch, and he'll want to make the most of the opportunities he's getting now.
Ravindra Jadeja will be the deputy to Suryakumar Yadav in the three T20Is, before returning for the Test matches. Deepak Chahar makes a much-awaited return from injury and finds himself in both the white-ball squads.
#2 Delhi Capitals
Players in the Indian Squad: Kuldeep Yadav (T20Is and ODIs), Mukesh Kumar (all formats), and Axar Patel (ODIs).
Seamer Mukesh Kumar's rise to becoming an all-format player for India is a pleasant surprise and a reward for his stellar performances in the domestic setup. Axar Patel, meanwhile has to make way for Jadeja in the T20I squad, but should get game time in the ODIs. Kuldeep should be India's main spinner in both limited-overs formats now.
#3 Gujarat Titans
Players in the Indian Squad: Sai Sudharsan (ODIs), Shubman Gill (T20Is and Tests), and Mohammed Shami (Tests).
Sai Sudharsan gets a much-deserved India call-up to the ODI squad that has many new faces in the batting department, with Shubman Gill getting a rest from the ODIs. Mohammed Shami's return to the the red-ball format could be a huge boost for India, but that will be subject to his fitness.
#4 Kolkata Knight Riders
Players in the Indian Squad: Shreyas Iyer (all formats) and Rinku Singh (T20Is and ODIs).
Rinku Singh was one of the best players in IPL 2023, and when the national call-up came, he has certainly made it count and could well become India's designated finisher in limited-overs cricket for years to come.
Shreyas Iyer came into his own post a brief period of trouble in the World Cup, and he's set to play a pivotal role for India in all formats in the next phase of Indian cricket.
#5 Lucknow Supergiants
Players in the Indian Squad: KL Rahul (ODIs and Tests) and Ravi Bishnoi (T20Is).
KL Rahul will lead the Indian side in the three ODIs in Rohit Sharma's absence, after an excellent WC campaign. He also makes a return to the Test side as one of two designated wicket-keepers.
It'll be interesting to see if he opens the batting or slots in at No. 5. Ravi Bishnoi keeps his place in the T20I squad after his solid outings in the ongoing five-match series against Australia.
#6 Mumbai Indians
Players in the Indian Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (T20Is), Tilak Varma (T20Is and ODIs), Jasprit Bumrah (Tests), Ishan Kishan (T20Is and Tests), and Rohit Sharma (Tests).
Despite rumors that Rohit Sharma would lead the team in the T20Is, he's requested a break from the white-ball leg of this series and will return to captain the team for the Test matches. Suryakumar Yadav appears to have lost his spot in the ODI squad after a tough World Cup, but he remains the first-choice captain in T20Is in the absence of Rohit and Hardik.
Tilak Varma has retained his spot in both the white-ball formats, and similar to Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan too finds himself in the T20I and Test squads and is rested for the ODIs.
#7 Punjab Kings
Players in the Indian Squad: Jitesh Sharma (T20Is) and Arshdeep Singh (T20Is and ODIs).
Jitesh Sharma gets a merited spot in the T20I squad, but it'll be interesting to see how much game-time he gets with Ishan Kishan also in the squad. Arshdeep Singh remains India's go-to option in T20Is, and in the absence of Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj, he also makes a return to the ODI setup.
#8 Rajasthan Royals
Players in the Indian Squad: Sanju Samson (ODIs), Prasidh Krishna (Tests), Ravichandran Ashwin (Tests), Yashasvi Jaiswal (T20Is and Tests), Avesh Khan (ODIs), and Yuzvendra Chahal (ODIs).
Plenty of Royals will be in action in South Africa, starting with their skipper Sanju Samson who's a part of the ODI squad. Yuzvendra Chahal also returns from the wilderness to take his place in the ODI side, where we could see the return of the 'Kul-Cha' combination. Newly traded-in seamer Avesh Khan also makes the cut for the ODIs.
After receiving a call-up to the World Cup team and taking part in a host of T20I games, Prasidh Krishna is rested for the white-ball part of the tour but finds himself in the Test side. As does Ravichandran Ashwin, who'll hopefully get some game time after being benched for quite a while now.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is one of the hottest prospects in Indian cricket, and he'll be in action in both the T20Is and the Tests.
#9 Royal Challengers Bangalore
Players in the Indian Squad: Virat Kohli (Tests), Mohammed Siraj (T20Is and Tests), and Rajat Patidar (ODIs).
Virat Kohli opted out of the ODIs and T20Is and will join the team for the two Tests. Mohammed Siraj returns to the T20I side after a while and gets a rest in the ODIs before returning for the Tests. Rajat Patidar gets an opportunity to shine in the ODIs, courtesy of his impressive showings in domestic cricket.
#10 Sunrisers Hyderabad
Players in the Indian Squad: Washington Sundar (T20Is and ODIs).
A fully-fit Washington Sundar is a valuable commodity for the Indian side, and he's the only SRH representative in this SA tour and is a part of both the ODI and T20I squads.