Selectors call up Vijaykumar Vyshak, Ramandeep for T20I tour of South Africa

MUMBAI: The senior men's national selectors have handed maiden call-ups to pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak and middle-order batter Ramandeep Singh for the four-match T20I tour of South Africa starting in Durban on November 8.

With pace sensation Mayank Yadav, who made a sensational debut in the recent T20 series against Bangladesh, and middle-order batter Shivam Dube unavailable for selection because of injuries, the selectors decided to pick left-arm pacer Vijaykumar to bolster the pace attack that includes T20 World Cup-winner Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, and Yash Dayal, who was part of the Test squad recently but is yet to make his international debut. Karnataka pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak has done well for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the last couple of seasons after making his debut for them in IPL 2023.

Another T20 World Cup winner Hardik Pandya will be the most experienced pace option for skipper Suryakumar Yadav in the 15-member squad.

In the absence of late-dasher Shivam Dube, Ramandeep Singh will add more muscle to the middle order which will have Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh as main batters besides skipper Yadav. Ramandeep Singh had played a vital role in the Kolkata Knight Riders IPL2024 triumph with his brilliant late hitting.

Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson are likely to open the innings which seems a given especially after the hundred Samson struck against Bangladesh recently.

"Riyan Parag was unavailable for selection and is currently at The BCCI Centre of Excellence for long-term resolution of his chronic right shoulder injury," BCCI secretary Jay Shah informed in the release on Friday night.

Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Ravi Bishnoi are the three main spinners in the squad while Jitesh Sharma will be hoping to share the wicketkeeping duties with Sanju Samson.

In the tour following soon after the home Test series against New Zealand, India will be playing four T20I matches in South Africa with the first game scheduled for November 8 at Durban. The second T20I will be played at Gqeberha on November 10 followed by the third at Centurion on November 13 and the fourth in Johannesburg on November 15.

India’s squad for 4 T20Is against South Africa: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.