Deepak Chahar to miss ODI series in South Africa due to family medical emergency; Mohammed Shami ruled out of Tests
Team India’s pace-bowling all-rounder Deepak Chahar will be unavailable for the three-match ODI series in South Africa due to a family medical emergency. Akash Deep has been named as Chahar’s replacement in the Indian one-day squad.
Akash Deep has played 25 first-class matches, 28 List-A games, and 41 T20s, claiming 90, 42, and 48 wickets, respectively.
Meanwhile, seasoned pacer Mohammed Shami has also been ruled out of the two-match Test series against South Africa. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the same through an official statement on Saturday, December 16.
Shami’s participation in the Test series was under doubt as he is recovering from an ankle injury. The right-arm pacer was the leading wicket-taker in the 2023 ODI World Cup, claiming 24 wickets in seven matches at an average of 10.71 with three five-wicket hauls.
An official statement from BCCI on the Indian fast bowler read:
“Mr Mohd Shami, whose participation in the Test series was subject to fitness, has not been cleared by the BCCI Medical Team and the fast bowler is ruled out of the two Tests.”
The statement added that batter Shreyas Iyer will join the Test squad to prepare for the Test series after the conclusion of the first ODI in Johannesburg on December 17. Shreyas will thus not be available for the second and third ODI and will take part in the inter-squad game.
Meanwhile, head coach Rahul Dravid, batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T. Dilip will link up with the Test squad and oversee their preparations for the inter-squad game and the Test series.
The BCCI also confirmed that the ODI squad will be assisted by India A’s coaching staff comprising batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, bowling coach Rajib Datta, and fielding coach Ajay Ratra.
India’s updated ODI squad
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Tilak Varma, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (C)(wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep.
India’s remaining matches on South Africa tour
Having squared the three-match T20I series 1-1, India will take on South Africa in three one-dayers from December 17 to 21.
They will subsequently play two Tests against the Proteas from December 26-30 (Centurion) and January 3-7 (Cape Town).