India have fired the first shot of their T20 World Cup title defense by declaring a 15-member squad for the five-match T20I series against South Africa, commencing December 9 in Cuttack. With a home World Cup to defend in February-March 2026 between India and Sri Lanka, this is not just another bilateral assignment - it's about how India wants their champions to develop before the circus begins.
The selectors, who met in Raipur on Wednesday evening, expectedly stuck with Suryakumar Yadav as captain. However, it was the return of Shubman Gill as the vice-captain that was one of the big talking points of the squad.
The T20Is in Cuttack, Mullanpur, Dharamsala, Lucknow and Ahmedabad will now act as India's final major look at combinations.
