There will be no Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma in the India A squad for the upcoming one-day series against South Africa A, set to take place from November 13 to 19 at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. The selection committee has named Tilak Varma as captain for the three-match series, with Ruturaj Gaikwad appointed as his deputy. This series is being considered a preparation platform for several white-ball specialists ahead of India’s ODI series against South Africa from November 30 to December 6.
There had been speculation about whether Rohit and Kohli might be included in India A matches to regain rhythm ahead of the South Africa tour. However, the two senior players were not considered for the squad, and there has been no official statement from the BCCI on whether consultations took place.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli recently returned to international cricket in a three-match ODI series against Australia. Kohli registered two ducks before scoring a fifty in Sydney, while Rohit delivered an impactful performance to win the Player of the Series award. He made 202 runs in three matches, looking noticeably leaner and sharper, and also reclaimed the No. 1 ranking in the ICC ODI batting charts.
With both senior players now active only in ODI cricket after stepping away from Tests and T20Is, discussions around their workload and match readiness have intensified. Several former players, including Sunil Gavaskar, have suggested that they should consider participating in domestic tournaments like the Vijay Hazare Trophy to maintain competitive rhythm. The Vijay Hazare Trophy will run from December 24 to January 18.
India captain Shubman Gill had earlier clarified that there has been no formal discussion regarding Kohli and Rohit’s participation in India A or domestic fixtures. Gill said, “Till now there has been no conversation regarding this. There’s not much gap left for the South Africa series. There’s a bit of a gap between the South Africa and New Zealand series. We will have discussions after the South Africa series.”
Following the South Africa ODIs, India will host New Zealand in a three-match ODI series from January 11 to 18. With no 50-over games scheduled again until January 2026, there is growing belief that Rohit and Kohli might need domestic match time to stay ready.
Tilak Varma to Lead India A
Tilak Varma will lead a strong India A side featuring a blend of proven young performers and next-gen prospects. World No. 1 ranked T20I batter Abhishek Sharma has been included, along with Ishan Kishan and Riyan Parag. The pace attack includes Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna.
The India A squad announcement was made alongside the squad selection for two Tests against South Africa beginning November 14. Prasidh Krishna, who had been part of the previous Test series in the West Indies, has been moved to the India A setup for white-ball preparation. Akash Deep has replaced him in the Test squad, which also sees vice-captain Rishabh Pant return to Test cricket.
India A Squad for One-Day Series vs South Africa A
Tilak Varma (Captain),
Ruturaj Gaikwad (Vice-Captain),
Abhishek Sharma,
Riyan Parag,
Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper),
Ayush Badoni,
Nishant Sindhu,
Vipraj Nigam,
Manav Suthar,
Harshit Rana,
Arshdeep Singh,
Prasidh Krishna,
Khaleel Ahmed,
Prabhsimran Singh (Wicketkeeper).
