Uncapped stars from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have been included in India’s squad for the four-match T20I series against South Africa. They have done well in the Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier and rightly got the call-up for the series.

Ramandeep Singh, the KKR all-rounder who played big shots in the lower order, and Vijaykumar Vyshak, the RCB fast bowler with huge potential, have an India call-up for the South Africa series. Other notable names in the team are Yash Dayal and Avesh Khan, two quality sprinters.

Suryakumar Yadav will continue to lead the team, with big names in the team including Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson and Rinku Singh, who have been doing well of late. Other batsmen are Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, while Jitesh Sharma, the wicketkeeper batsman, is a surprise inclusion.

Read also: Controversy at the Asia Cup for Emerging Teams! The referee takes review without DRS and ultraedge, gives a shocking exit! [WATCH]

Meanwhile, Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi are three spinners in the team. Axar’s inclusion is a bit strange as he is not part of the Border Gavaskar Trophy, a format he has mainly been in with the national team.

Mayank Yadav and Shivam Dube unavailable due to injury

Mayank Yadav, who recently made his T20I debut against Bangladesh, and six-hitter Shivam Dube were unavailable for selection due to injuries. Both have been impressive in the shortest format of the IPL and for India.

Meanwhile, Riyan Parag, another impressive performer, was also excluded as he is at the BCCI Center of Excellence to treat his chronic right shoulder injury. His recent rise in the shortest format has been colossal and he contributes with both bat and ball.

The team is more or less in the expected line, and only Vijaykumar is a surprise. Perhaps the nature of the decks in South Africa influenced his selection as he can bowl at a good pace and get additional bounce.

The four-match T20I series between South Africa and India begins on November 8 in Durban. The next three matches will be played over the space of six days at three different venues with the match concluding on November 15.

India squad for South Africa series: Suryakumar Kumar (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, Tilak Verma, Jitesh Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak , Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.

For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram and YouTube.