As expected, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will skip the One-Day matches to warm up for IND vs SA ODIs. Both are on a month-long break after the Australia series. They will return directly for the three ODIs against South Africa before going on a long break again ahead of the New Zealand series. Instead, Tilak Varma will lead India A against South Africa A with Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Abhishek Sharma featuring.
India A will play three One-Day matches against South Africa in Rajkot on November 13, 16 and 19. With hardly any game time for the two superstars, who have retired from Test and T20Is, the India A games would have given them the platform to rehearse. However, instead of the practice games, Kohli has returned to his home in the UK, while Rohit is practising with Abhishek Nayar in Mumbai.
India A’s squad for South Africa A one-day
Tilak Varma (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Manav Suthar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Prabhsimran Singh (WK)
Should Ro-Ko have played for India A?
At 37 and 39, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have nothing to prove. But these three games would have helped them get match practice. Virat Kohli scored two ducks in the first two ODIs against Australia. Rohit scored 8 in the first match before finding his rhythm and scoring 73 and 121 in the last two ODIs. Kohli also hit the top gear, scoring an unbeaten 74 in the 3rd ODI. Rohit and Kohli added a 168-run partnership to chase down Australia’s 236 in Sydney. But before they hit form, both looked rusty in Perth.
The fact is that those three ODIs were the first competitive games for both stars in eight months. And as they continue to skip the domestic and India A matches, the practice sessions and international matches are the only platforms to get their rhythm back. While it may work out in the inconsequential bilateral series now, it could backfire as the 2027 World Cup nears.
Pacers get game-time
With Prasidh Krishna dropped from the Test squad, the BCCI selection committee has picked him for the India A games. He might get a go in the three ODIs as the team management prepares the core group for World Cup 2027. Harshit Rana is also a surprise inclusion after his good show in Australia. Arshdeep Singh, who is yet to cement his spot in the ODIs, is also in the squad.
However, Tilak Varma has a chance to impress ahead of IND vs SA ODIs. With Shreyas Iyer injured and unlikely to be fit for the ODI series, Tilak could get the No 4 slot.
