After severe drubbing the hands of New Zealand, Team India will shift their focus to the upcoming home series against South Africa comprising of three ODIs starting from March 12. Meanwhile, the series is likely to see the return of star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and swashbuckling opener Shikhar Dhawan.
Dharamsala will now host the first ODI on March 12 before Lucknow and Kolkata host the next two games on March 15 and 18 respectively. The upcoming squad selection will also be the first assignment of Sunil Joshi as the chairman of the selection panel alongside Harvinder Singh, Devang Joshi, Sarandeep Singh, and Jatin Paranjpe.
As per reports in The Hindu, Joshi's first meeting will be more of an injury update as the selectors will take a look at the three sidelined players who have made a strong comeback this week during the DY Patil T20 tournament in Navi Mumbai. Hardik Pandya, Shikhar Dhawan, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar – all have made strong comebacks for Reliance 1 in the ongoing DY Patil Cup.
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The report also states that all the three players are likely to return for the ODI series against South Africa after recovering from their respective injuries. Dhawan and Kumar's return to the setup look all but set with Rohit Sharma still struggling with injury and Mohammed Shami being rested. However, Pandya's return will depend on how well he recovers from his back injury.
The swashbuckling all-rounder has made a starking return to action for the first time since September 2019. He has struck two back-to-back centuries – one of 37 deliveries followed by another in 39 deliveries to set the stage on fire before the upcoming Indian Premier League. Following his super show over the last week, Pandya looks to take his slot back in Team India's playing XI.
