Reports: Team India's squad selection for SA ODIs postponed, selectors wait on Rohit Sharma's fitness status

Team India’s squad selection for the upcoming ODI series against South Africa has been postponed. The team might get picked now by the end of this month as there is still no clarity over India’s new white-ball captain Rohit Sharma’s fitness. He is currently at the NCA undergoing rehabilitation after sustaining a hamstring injury just before flying to South Africa for the Test series.

The selectors were expected to meet and pick the squad soon after the Vijay Hazare Trophy ended. But it seems Rohit still needs some more time to regain full fitness. Moreover, it was also reported earlier that if he misses this series, then KL Rahul will stand-in as captain for the ODIs in South Africa.

A BCCI official confirmed the news of squad selection getting delayed. He also informed that all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel both are unavailable for selection. “The team selection meeting will happen after the first Test. It could be on December 30 or 31st but the BCCI is yet to take a final call. Rohit is pulling all stops to get fit but hamstring injuries are a bit different from other injuries.

“It has been learnt that Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel are unavailable for selection. About Rohit, a call will be taken closer to the selection date,” the official said according to FirstPost.

Rohit Sharma can get picked subject to regaining full fitness before 1st ODI

There is also a chance of Rohit Sharma getting picked despite not being fully fit. However, he will be given a chance to regain his fitness before the first ODI which is set to be played on January 19 which is still three weeks away. “It could well happen that Rohit is not fit by the time of selection cut-off but then with the first ODI still three weeks away, he could get enough time to be with the team and regain full fitness closer to the date.

“In that case, he can be selected subject to fitness. These are things that chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma needs to check,” the official further said. As far as the selection of players is concerned, the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Venkatesh Iyer are set to get picked while the opener Shikhar Dhawan will also be retained despite his poor form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

There is also a possibility of Shahrukh Khan’s name being discussed thanks to his excellent hitting skills which he showcased in the recent domestic One-Day tournament.