The Aryavarth Express
Bhubaneswar (Odisha): India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav on Monday confirmed that Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya are fit and available for selection ahead of the first T20I against South Africa, scheduled for Tuesday at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
“Right now, both of them look healthy and fit. They are in the team,” Suryakumar said during the pre-match press conference.
Gill had missed the second Test and the ODI series against South Africa due to neck spasms suffered during the opening Test in Kolkata. After precautionary hospitalisation and rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, the 26-year-old has been cleared to return.
Hardik Pandya, meanwhile, has been recovering from a quadriceps injury sustained during the Asia Cup 2025. The all-rounder sat out the tournament final against Pakistan and the subsequent white-ball series against Australia. He proved his fitness while representing Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Suryakumar praised Pandya’s impact, calling his experience and versatility crucial to the team’s balance.
“What you saw in the Asia Cup—when he bowled with the new ball—he opened up a lot of options for us. His experience in big games and ICC and ACC events counts a lot. His presence gives great balance to the side,” he said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
The five-match T20I series begins on December 10 in Cuttack, followed by matches in Mullanpur (Dec 11), Dharamsala (Dec 14), Lucknow (Dec 17), and Ahmedabad (Dec 19).
India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), 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.
