CSK stars omitted as Irfan Pathan picks his India playing XI for IND vs SA 2025 1st T20I

Former cricketer Irfan Pathan's preferred Team India playing XI for the first T20I against South Africa does not include big names like Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube. The Men in Blue head into the final phase of the road to the 2026 T20 World Cup, with the series opener against the Proteas scheduled for Tuesday, December 9, at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.

Irfan Pathan has included the returning duo of Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya straight into the playing XI. They recently recovered from their respective injuries just in time to feature in the upcoming five-match series and get into rhythm.

The former player named Jitesh Sharma as the first-choice wicket-keeper, and compromised batting depth for bowling strength as he named four specialists, including two frontline spinners.

"Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Jitesh Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah," Irfan Pathan named the playing XI of his choice on his YouTube channel.

He noted the lack of a batting option at No.8, and acknowledged Harshit Rana's recent growth. However, he feels that the team needs Arshdeep Singh's services.

"Is this playing XI possible? Will they go for such a combination? Harshit Rana has done well with the ball recently, and we saw in Australia that he played a good knock. So, will the Indian team back him for the No.8 role?" Irfan Pathan added.

Harshit Rana had a stellar ODI series against South Africa at home, picking up four wickets at an average of 44.75 and an economy of 6.39 in the high-scoring set of affairs. The pacer was effective across all three phases of the game, especially with the new ball, where he got the ball to move both ways efficiently.

"A good headache to have" - Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav on team selection for IND vs SA 2025 1st T20I

Team India have a well-settled squad with multiple options for each department. Picking a playing XI has been a difficult task for the team management, considering the names that have to be left on the bench.

High-profile names like Sanju Samson and Arshdeep Singh have had to be confined to the bench in recent times for the sake of team combination. Captain Suryakumar Yadav spoke about one such selection conundrum that has been a massive talking point over the last couple of months.

"We gave Sanju Samson opportunities; he was ready to bat at any number. It’s good to see a player being ready to bat in any position. From 3–6, anywhere. I have told this to all the batters: other than the openers, everyone has to be flexible," Suryakumar Yadav said during the pre-match press conference.

"Both are in the scheme of things. It’s always good to have both of them as part of the squad. One can open, one can bat lower down the order. Both can do all the roles. It’s an asset to our team and a good headache to have," the Indian captain added.

Team India have lost only two out of 17 T20Is in 2025 so far. They have recorded series wins over England and Australia, while also clinching the 2025 Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).