Squad: Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane (VC), Mayank Agarwal, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant (wk), Cheteshwar Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Hanuma Vihari and Kuldeep Yadav
An Under-19 World Cup winner in 2018, Gill has risen up the ladder with every subsequent domestic season. The 20-year-old has already made rapid strides, hammering 1,443 runs at 72.15 in first-class cricket, including four centuries and a highest score of 268. Most recently, he smacked 204* for India A against West Indies A at Tarouba, taking India to a total of 365 from a precarious position of 50 for 4. In the just concluded four-day game against South Africa A, Gill demonstrated his skills yet again with a 90 in the first innings to help India to a 139-run lead and eventually a win. Gill made his India debut earlier this year on the tour of New Zealand but managed scores of only 9 and 7 batting at number three.
As for Rohit, Prasad all but confirmed that he would be partnering Mayank Agarwal as an opener, despite having done so only thrice in domestic cricket. "Yes, we are definitely looking at him [as an opener] and we want to give him an opportunity," Prasad said. "He has been opening in white-ball cricket for more than a decade [Rohit started opening in 2013]. We feel he can bat up the order, we have seen that in white-ball cricket, and if he can do that in red-ball cricket, then nothing like it. We have a lot of practice matches coming up, which will be a boost to this side."
Keeping in mind Rohit" 's promotion in the batting order, he has been selected to captain the Board President's XI against South Africa in the warm-up game before the first Test. That team also includes Agarwal and Abhimanyu Easwaran, who many felt was a close competitor for the opener's slot after successive consistent seasons for Bengal, whom he is ready to lead during the 2019-20 domestic calendar.
The first Test against South Africa starts on October 2 at Visakhapatnam before the series moves over to Pune and Ranchi.
India vs SA 2019: KL Rahul dropped, Gill earns maiden call-up for Tests
India have dropped KL Rahul from the squad that won the Tests against West Indies, calling up the uncapped Shubman Gill in his place to face South Africa at home for a three-Test series. India might even end up trying Rohit Sharma in Rahul's place at the top, with chief selector MSK Prasad expressing a desire to give Rohit "an opportunity to open the innings in Tests".