India vs South Africa 2025 Best Predicted Test Series Squad List
With Rishabh Pant set to return, here’s the best predicted squad and players list for the India vs South Africa 2025 Test series, set to be played in November.
2-2 vs England, and 2-0 vs West Indies. That’s how the current status of the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle stands for Team India. It has been a good start for Captain Shubman Gill, having drawn the Test series in England, and whitewashing the home Test series 2-0 against West Indies. But there’s another key challenge awaiting Shubman Gil and Co as they face South Africa in Tests at home.
It’s another 2-match Test series against South Africa for Team India at home, and it begins just post the conclusion of the Australia tour. The current WTC champions, South Africa, may pose a more difficult challenge to the Indian team, who were also shaken a bit by West Indies in the 2nd Test match. While Team India have a strong batting attack, the bowling needs to come to party, and for that India need to focus more on bowlers who can take 20 wickets.
The current South African team may be strong, but they just lost a Test match against Pakistan, and historically, they don’t have a good record in India. Of the 19 Tests that South Africa have played in India, they have won just 5, and lost 11. However, they do have a series win in India, and that was back in the 2000s when South Africa won the Test series 2-0. But as things stand today, the current Indian Cricket Team is much stronger to get whitewashed.
India vs South Africa 2025 Test Squad Decoded
Given that the South Africa Test series starts just a month after the West Indies Test series, can we expect a few changes in the squad, or will Team India continue with the same squad that played against West Indies? It will be an interesting call to take, as the team will continue to be without the stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, etc., but may see the return of Rishabh Pant, India’s primary wicket-keeper.
The foremost question that the Indian team will have while selecting the squad for the South Africa Test series is whether Rishabh Pant is fit enough to play. As we know, Rishabh Pant is the best Wicket-keeper currently in India, and even as Dhruv Jurel has done well against the West Indies, he will have to make way for Pant, if he returns. As to how things stand today, Pant has resumed batting, and has been donning a few net sessions already. So, with about a month left for the South Africa series, expect Rishabh Pant to return for the Test series vs South Africa.
With Rishabh Pant returning, N Jagadeesan will unfortunately have to make way for him. But aside from this change, it looks unlikely that India will make any further changes. Worst case may be bringing in Akash Deep too as the 16th player if he is fit. But since India already have Prasidh among backups, Akash Deep may not be utilised anyway. However, being with the team will give good learning exposure to Akash Deep.
India vs West Indies 2025 Test Series Best Squad and Players List
Batters
- Devdutt Padikkal
- KL Rahul
- Sai Sudharsan
- Shubman Gill (c)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
Wicket-keepers
- Dhruv Jurel
- Rishabh Pant
All-rounders
- Axar Patel
- Nitish Reddy
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Washington Sundar
Bowlers
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohammed Siraj
- Prasidh Krishna
So, that’s about the best predicted squad and players list for Team India for the 2025 Test series vs South Africa. It’s an important Test series India, and the one that can decide India’s WTC final future. While 2-0 or 1-0 would be ideal, India would be disappointed if it goes to 1-1 or 0-1 or 0-2. It looks unlikely India will lose a Test series, but in the game of cricket, anything can happen. Meanwhile, here are the complete Test series fixtures for India vs South Africa 2025 Test series.
India vs South Africa 2025 Test Series Schedule Fixtures
- 1st Test match, November 14-18, 2025 @ Kolkata
- 2nd Test match, November 22-26, 2025 @ Guwahati
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