Reports | Hardik Pandya or Shikhar Dhawan might lead the Indian team for South Africa T20Is

Indian Premier League 2022 has entered its business end and the Indian team will host South Africa for a five-match T20I series after the conclusion of the tournament. The series will kick off on June 9 and the final T20I of the series will be played on June 19. The squad for the series is likely to be selected on May 22. 

According to a report by PTI, Shikhar Dhawan or Hardik Pandya might lead the national team in the series. Pandya has impressed one and all with his captaincy in the IPL and Dhawan has been good while leading the team in the past. Both of these players are in the reckoning for the leadership role. A source confirmed the update to PTI.

"The selectors have a couple of choices. Shikhar Dhawan, as he has already captained India in absence of Virat, Rohit, and Rahul during last year's Sri Lanka series. But Hardik Pandya's impressive captaincy for Gujarat Titans hasn't gone unnoticed. So it will be a close call," a senior BCCI source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

The report also stated that many of the senior players will be rested for the series including Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul. The team management needs their key players to be fit for the Test match against England in early July. The source said that the Test match against England in July is paramount and all key players will play a crucial role there.

"All the senior India players will get at least three and half weeks of complete rest. Rohit, Virat, KL, Rishabh and Jasprit will all directly go to England for the 'fifth Test' following the white-ball series. We need all our key players to remain fresh for the England series," he explained.