Reports | Hardik Pandya, Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar set to return for South Africa ODIs

Reports | Hardik Pandya, Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar set to return for South Africa ODIs

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Team India are set to be bolstered by the return of superstar names like Hardik Pandya, Shikhar Dhawan, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the three-match ODI series against South Africa. All three have showcased strong performances in the DY Patil T20 tournament in Navi Mumbai this week.

Representing Reliance 1 during the invitational T20 tournament earlier this week, Hardik, Dhawan, and Bhuvneshwar have had a blast. The tournament, which has emerged as a prelude to the IPL over the last decade, was the platform for the troika to flex their muscles having recovered from their respective injuries. 

Dhawan, who missed the New Zealand tour due to a shoulder injury, and Bhuvneshwar, who has recovered well from hernia surgery, has got back into a steady stride. But it was Hardik who stole the show with back-to-back blockbuster showing in the same week. After scoring a 39-ball 101 and picking five wickets in a match earlier, the all-rounder blasted a 58-ball 158 — with 20 sixes — against Shreyas Iyer’s Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited on Friday. Hardik has been on the sidelines for a prolonged time after undergoing a back operation last year. 

All this has set up a bright start for Sunil Joshi in his new role as the chairman of the senior selection committee. According to the report on Sportstar, Joshi's first meeting is likely to be more of an injury update as the selectors take stock of the three sidelines players. The decisions to recall the trio into India’s ODI squad against South Africa, starting March 12, will depend on whether the selectors are convinced they are ready for it and the rigorous IPL coming up. 

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