Virat Kohli returns to lead India's 17-man ODI squad to South Africa

Virat Kohli (PTI)

New Delhi: The MSK Prasad-led selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday announced a 17-man ODI party for the tour of South Africa to be led by Virat Kohli, who makes a return to the squad after missing the home series against Sri Lanka due to his marriage.

The six-match series in South Africa will begin in Durban on February 1, following the Test series. 

Also returning to the squad, along with Kohli, are batsman Kedar Jadhav and paceman Shardul Thakur, while Mohammed Shami has been preferred over Umesh Yadav as the fourth pacer in the squad that has ten players who can bat. 

Shami last appeared in an ODI against Australia in September this year.

Jadhav (hamstring) and Thakur (shoulder) were injured during the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka that concludes on Sunday with the inconsequential third T20I in Mumbai. The hosts have already taken an unassailable lead by winning the first two matches. 

Dinesh Karthik continues to be the back-up wicketkeeper for MS Dhoni while also doubling up as a specialist batsman. Shreyas Iyer has been rewarded for his two half-centuries against Sri Lanka and retains his place, as does Manish Pandey.  

Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel are the seam-up and spin options, respectively, as allrounders while the successful spin twins  Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal continue to be preferred over the experienced Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindran Jadeja in limited-overs cricket. 

Apart from Shami and Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the other two specialist fast bowlers in the squad. 

ODI FIXTURES: 

1st ODI - February 1, Durban
2nd ODI - February 4, Centurion 
3rd ODI - February 7, Cape Town 
4th ODI: February 10, Johannesburg
5th ODI: Feburary 13, Port Elizabeth
6th ODI: February 16, Centurion, February 16

The tour concludes with the three-match T20I series ending February 24.

India's ODI squad: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur