India start T20 World Cup preparations with Gill and Pandya comeback

India begin their T20 World Cup preparations with Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya returning for the five-match series against South Africa in Cuttack. With Suryakumar Yadav’s form under scrutiny and the Samson-Jitesh debate ongoing, India aim to refine combinations before February’s showpiece

Cuttack: The return of Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya will lend fresh sheen and much-needed completeness to reigning world champions India when they begin their official march towards the home T20 World Cup with the opening match of a five-game series against South Africa here on Tuesday.

This series marks the start of India’s formal build-up to the February showpiece, where they will play 10 T20Is — five against South Africa followed by another five against New Zealand — before opening their title defence against the USA at the Wankhede on February 7.

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India have been a formidable T20I unit after their World Cup triumph last year, winning eight matches in a row to lift the title. Since then, they have extended their tally to 26 wins with only four losses, including a seven-match streak during their Asia Cup victory in Dubai.

Gill’s return comes after he missed almost a month of cricket owing to a neck spasm suffered during the opening Test against the Proteas. His workload management will be closely monitored, with this series doubling up as vital preparation for the ICC event.

Hardik Pandya’s comeback is equally significant. Out for more than two months with a quadricep injury during the Asia Cup, the all-rounder returned with a 42-ball 77 not out for Baroda in the SMAT before bowling four overs at full tilt. His presence restores balance to India’s flexible bowling attack.

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s lean patch remains a talking point. Despite a stellar IPL 2025, his T20I average has dipped to 15.33 with no fifties in his last 20 games. The next 10 T20Is will be crucial for both his form and captaincy.

The wicketkeeper-batter debate between Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma continues. Samson, India’s third-highest run-getter since the World Cup, has excelled as an opener but now shifts down the order with Gill’s return. Jitesh, meanwhile, had modest returns in the SMAT.

South Africa welcome back pacer Anrich Nortje and spinner Keshav Maharaj, while Marco Jansen’s rise as an all-rounder adds strength. However, they will miss Tony de Zorzi and Kwena Maphaka due to injury.

Teams (from): India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.

South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Ottineil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock, Donnovan Ferreria, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tristan Stubbs.

Match starts: 7 pm IST.