India’s T20I squad selection for South Africa series was preponed because of new jerseys - Report

According to reports, India’s selectors connected via a teleconference to announce India’s T20I squad for the South Africa series after kit-makers had requested more time to prepare India’s new jersey

A request from the Indian cricket team’s kit-makers Nike, seeking more time to prepare the T20 jerseys with new sponsor names preponed India’s squad selection for the three-match T20I series against South Africa. India’s 15-man squad was supposed to be announced on September 4 but the selectors decided to go ahead with it on August 29 to allow the kit-makers enough time to prepare India’s new jersey.

Virat Kohli (C) of India leads his team onto the field during the 1st T20I match between West Indies and India at Central Broward Regional Park Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on August 3, 2019 (Getty Images)

According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, the MSK Prasad-led national selection committee conducted an impromptu teleconference in the evening of September 29 and announced India’s T20 squad for the South Africa series afterwards. The selectors, in different cities - Trivandrum, New Delhi, Bangalore and Kingston (Jamaica) – were connected in the teleconference, the report stated.

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Bengaluru-based learning app BYJU’s took over from Chinese phone-makers OPPO as India’s jersey sponsors after the latter decided to hand the deal over for the remaining three years of its contract.

The new deal was slated to take place from September 1 and the kit-makers needed sufficient time to make the changes in India’s T20 jersey before the series starts from September 15 with the first match slated to be played at Dharamsala. The next two matches will be played at Mohali (18) and Bangalore (22).

BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, for his part, had stated that India’s squad selection was advanced due to some logistical issues.

Former captain MS Dhoni was not included in India’s T20I side after he informed the board about his unavailability. Rishabh Pant was naturally chosen as the designated wicket-keeper of the squad, which had only change from the one that blanked West Indies 3-0 in the last T20I series. All-rounder Hardik Pandya, who was rested from the West Indies series, made his way back into the side in place Bhuvneshwar Kumar.