India A squad for one-day series vs South Africa A announced; Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli snubbed; Ruturaj Gaikwad promoted

The BCCI has announced the India A squad for the upcoming three-match one-day series against South Africa A in Rajkot. Tilak Varma was named India A captain for the one-day series against South Africa A, while Ruturaj Gaikwad will serve as his deputy.

The squad has familiar faces like Abhishek Sharma and Riyan Parag, as well as a strong Ishan Kishan and Prabhsimran Singh. Ayush Badoni and Nishant Sindhu bring fresh energy into the side. Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana have also been picked for the 50-over games against South Africa A.

Tilak Varma to lead India A against South Africa A

However, India’s biggest stars, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, are once again skipping the India A matches. They opted to rest and prepare by themselves ahead of the upcoming ODI series against South Africa.

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The former Indian captains will return only for the three ODIs in South Africa before taking another extended break ahead of the New Zealand tour.

Read Also: India Test squad for South Africa series announced; Rishabh Pant returns

In their absence, the spotlight shifts to India. Captain Tilak Varma in the upcoming three-match One-Day series to be held in Rajkot on November 13, 16, and 19.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma skip South Africa One Dayers

While Rohit and Kohli’s decision to skip the games isn’t surprising, it has once again raised eyebrows about their limited match practice, as both players have already retired from Test and T20I formats. They have only a few series lined up for them before the ICC World Cup 2027, so their breaks could prove costly in the long run.

Their recent outings against Australia showed glimpses of brilliance but also signs of rust. Rohit struggled early in the series before bouncing back with scores of 73 and 121, while Kohli took time to find form, registering back-to-back ducks before finishing the series with an unbeaten 74.

Those ODIs were their first competitive outings in eight months. As they continue to skip domestic cricket and India A tours, their rhythm depends almost entirely on practice nets and limited international fixtures. While this may not affect them much in low-pressure bilateral series, it could become a real concern as India builds toward the ICC World Cup 2027.

Read Also: Shock twist in Haris Rauf controversy as ICC accused of adding demerit points without notice

India A squad for the One-Day game against South Africa A:

Tilak Varma (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad (VC), Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Manav Suthar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed.

On the other hand, Rishabh Pant makes a comeback to India’s Test squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa, starting November 14 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The second and final test will be held in Guwahati. Pant replaced N. Jagadeesan after proving his fitness and form in India A’s win over South Africa A, where he scored a crucial 90-run knock.

Pat was recalled to the India side after recovering from a foot fracture sustained against England in July. Shubman Gill will lead the team, with Pant as vice-captain. The squad features KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj for the Proteas side.