In Vijay Hazare, Venkatesh Iyer has scored two centuries so far. One of these was against Kerala. Iyer, who scored 112 off 84 balls, led Madhya Pradesh to victory over Kerala. He took three wickets in the match. In the ensuing match against Uttarakhand, he scored 71 off 49 balls and took two wickets. He also scored a century against Uttar Pradesh yesterday. The middle-order batsman hit 151 off 113 balls and took two wickets.
Venkatesh Iyer’s all – round performance is what attracts the selectors. India currently need a pace all-rounder as Hardik is facing Pandya fitness issues. Therefore, the selection committee has decided to include Venkatesh in the squad to replace Hardik.
Maharashtra captain Rituraj, who has become synonymous with stability after scoring a hat-trick in Vijaya Hazare, could also get a place in the ODI team. Rituraj started with 124 off 129 balls against Kerala. He then went on to score 154 not out off 143 balls against Chhattisgarh. He also scored 136 runs against Madhya Pradesh. The selection committee could not pretend that it did not see the performance of the bowler who went straight ahead with authority in all the three matches and scored centuries.
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Meanwhile, senior player Shikhar Dhawan will be challenged if Rituraj is included in the squad. The selectors are considering giving Dhawan, who is currently out of the Indian team, a chance to tour South Africa, but Rituraj’s current performance is likely to give them a headache. It remains to be seen whether the selectors will consider the experience or the youth.
Team India returns for tour of South Africa on the 16th; 44 days in Biobable
The Indian cricket team will leave for South Africa on the 16th of this month. India play three Tests and one ODI in South Africa. All four T20s were part of the tour, but the T20 series was postponed due to the Omicron crisis.
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The Indian players will arrive in Mumbai on the 12th of this month. The Indian team will fly to South Africa after spending four days in Mumbai at the Quarantine. Upon arrival in South Africa, the Indian players will remain inside the Bio Bubble for 44 days.
The 18-member squad for the Test series was announced this week by a selection committee headed by Chetan Sharma. But the ODI team has not been announced. It is learned that the ODI team will also be announced in the coming days.
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