India recall Suresh Raina for South Africa Twenty 20 squad

TIL Desk Sports/ Batsman Suresh Raina was on Sunday rewarded for his recent domestic performance with a recall to the Indian Twenty20 squad for the three-match series against South Africa, starting February 18. Raina has also overcome fitness issues to make the 16-man squad led by Virat Kohli.

The southpaw had played his last international, a T20 against England, in February 2017 before being sidelined with fitness issues. Passing the mandatory ‘Yo Yo’ test also paved the way for his return. He was also in top-form in the recently-concluded Super League of Syed Mushtaq Ali, smashing an unbeaten hundred and a couple of half centuries for Uttar Pradesh.

Familiar faces like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shikhar Dhawan are back in the side after being rested for the last T20 series against Sri Lanka. Rohit Sharma had captained the side in three-match series with Kohli being rested. The crux of the ODI and T20 squad for the limited-overs leg in South Africa remains the same. The return of senior players means the likes of Deepak Hooda, Mohammad Siraj, Washington Sundar and Basil Thampi miss out.