This past Monday, the BCCI named a 15-player squad to take on South Africa and Australia in a series of T20Is. These home matches are designed to prepare the team for next month's T20 World Cup in Australia. Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, who was absent during the 2022 Asia Cup, has been called back for both series, although he is currently listed as a standby player for the World Cup.
On Monday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 15-member squad for the upcoming T20I series against Australia and South Africa. Both the home series will be played ahead of the T20 World Cup, which takes place in Australia next month. Indian senior pacer Mohammed Shami, who was not included in the squad for the Asia Cup 2022, returns to the team for both series. But Shami has been kept as a standby player in the World Cup squad.
Jasprit Bumrah, the team's leading strike bowler, and Harsha Patel are also returning for the T20I series. Both seamers were omitted from the Asia Cup roster to focus on their injury rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
The 'Men in Blue' will start their campaign on September 20 with three T20Is against Australia. Following that, they face the Proteas in a series running from September 28 to October 11, consisting of three T20Is and three ODIs. The BCCI has yet to release the specific squad for the ODI matches.
These upcoming fixtures provide a vital opportunity for the Indian team to sharpen their overall game across all departments before competing in October's premier event.
According to an official statement from the BCCI, all-rounder Hardik Pandya, along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the rising star Arshdeep Singh, will be spending time at the NCA for conditioning and fitness work while the home series against Australia and South Africa takes place.