NEW DELHI: Fit-again all-rounder Hardik Pandya returned to India’s one-day squad on Sunday but opener Rohit Sharma, who is recovering from a calf injury, was left out of the three-match series against South Africa beginning next week.
The 26-year-old Pandya underwent back surgery in October last year and was in fine form on his return to action in an invitational Twenty20 tournament earlier this month.
Also back in the team was veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan, who dislocated his shoulder against Australia in January, and was out of the team’s recent tour of New Zealand.
Swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was sidelined with a hernia last year, was also back in the Virat Kohli-led side.
Rohit, however, continues to be sidelined by the injury which cut short his tour of New Zealand.
India dropped opener Mayank Agarwal, middle order batsman Kedar Jadhav, all-rounder Shivam Dube and quicks Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Shami from the squad which lost 3-0 in New Zealand.
The first ODI will be played on March 12 in Dharamshala and the second on March 15 in Lucknow. The final match will be played in Kolkata on March 18.
Squad: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli (captain), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill.
