Jemimah Rodrigues returns to India's South Africa squad for all-format tour
Synopsis
Jemimah Rodrigues is back — and her return to India's South Africa squad signals that the country's batting depth, stretched by injuries across the second half of 2025, is rebuilding just in time for a December tour that doubles as a dress rehearsal for the 2027 Women's Champions Trophy. Add Smriti Mandhana's historic Test captaincy debut and this is a squad announcement with storylines well beyond the scorecard.
Key Takeaways
Jemimah Rodrigues returns to India's squads for the all-format South Africa tour after recovering from a high-grade hamstring injury sustained during The Hundred .
Amanjot Kaur is recalled to the T20I squad after overcoming a back injury that kept her out since the T20I series in South Africa earlier this year.
Smriti Mandhana will captain India in Test cricket for the first time , with Deepti Sharma as vice-captain for the one-off Test.
The tour runs from 9 to 30 December 2026 , covering one Test, three ODIs, and three T20Is across five South African venues.
Minnu Mani and Jintimani Kalita make way in the T20I side; Uma Chetry is dropped from the Test squad.
The T20I series is seen as key preparation for the 2027 Women's Champions Trophy , to be hosted in Vadodara and Mumbai .
Jemimah Rodrigues has been recalled to India's squads for the all-format tour of South Africa in December 2026, following her recovery from a high-grade hamstring tear. Seam-bowling all-rounder Amanjot Kaur has also returned, earning a place in the T20I squad after overcoming a back injury that had sidelined her since earlier this year.
Tour Schedule and Format
The all-format tour runs from 9 to 30 December and comprises one Test, three ODIs, and three T20Is. The lone Test match will be held at St George's Park in Gqeberha from 9 December. The three ODIs follow at Boland Park in Paarl on 16 December, Newlands in Cape Town on 19 December, and Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on 22 December. The T20I series begins at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on 26 December, with the final two matches at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom on 29 and 30 December.
Jemimah's Injury Comeback
The hamstring injury Rodrigues sustained during The Hundred ruled her out of a string of high-profile tournaments — India's Asia Cup title win, the Asian Games gold medal retention, and the home white-ball series against Zimbabwe. She returned to competitive cricket on 2 November, representing Mumbai in the Senior Women's T20 Trophy, where she made an unbeaten 29 against Uttar Pradesh. She subsequently struck 58 against Delhi before blazing a 47-ball 107 against Puducherry, helping Mumbai qualify for the knockout stage. The tournament's knockout rounds commence later this week in Ahmedabad.
Amanjot and Squad Changes
Amanjot Kaur, who last featured in the T20I series in South Africa earlier this year before her back injury, made her return to action through the Senior Women's T20 Trophy for Punjab. Her inclusion in the T20I side comes at the expense of Minnu Mani and Jintimani Kalita, who both make way. Notably, Uma Chetry has been dropped from the Test squad, while Kalita is included in the red-ball team. The rest of the squad remains largely unchanged across all three formats.
Historic Test Captaincy for Mandhana
Smriti Mandhana will captain India in Test cricket for the first time, leading the side in the one-off match at Gqeberha. Deepti Sharma serves as vice-captain for the Test. In the T20Is, Shafali Verma is named vice-captain.
Bigger Picture: Champions Trophy Prep
The T20I series carries additional strategic weight, with both India and South Africa looking to fine-tune preparations for the 2027 Women's Champions Trophy, to be hosted in Vadodara and Mumbai. Those two cities will also stage the 2027 Women's Premier League (WPL) from 14 January to 7 February. The South Africa tour is therefore as much a selection laboratory as a bilateral contest, with squad spots for the marquee home tournament firmly in view.
Point of View
But her absence cost India a creative middle-order option at three consecutive landmark tournaments — the Asia Cup, Asian Games, and the Zimbabwe series — underlining how thin India's top-tier batting cover remains when injuries strike. Mandhana's first Test captaincy is a genuinely significant milestone, yet the selectors' decision to drop Uma Chetry without clear public reasoning warrants scrutiny, particularly ahead of a format where specialist wicketkeeping options matter. The T20I series framing as 'Champions Trophy preparation' also raises the question of whether bilateral results against South Africa are being treated as genuinely competitive or as extended trials — a distinction that matters for how opponents read India's intent going into 2027.
NationPress
9 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Jemimah Rodrigues left out of India's squads before the South Africa tour?
Jemimah Rodrigues sustained a high-grade hamstring tear during The Hundred, which ruled her out of the Asia Cup, the Asian Games, and India's home white-ball series against Zimbabwe. She returned to competitive cricket on 2 November via the Senior Women's T20 Trophy before being recalled to India's squads.
When and where is India's all-format tour of South Africa 2026?
The tour runs from 9 to 30 December 2026 and includes one Test at St George's Park in Gqeberha, three ODIs in Paarl, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein, and three T20Is in Benoni and Potchefstroom.
Who is captaining India in the Test match against South Africa?
Smriti Mandhana will captain India in the one-off Test at Gqeberha — her first time leading the side in red-ball cricket. Deepti Sharma has been named vice-captain for the Test.
Why is Amanjot Kaur's inclusion in the T20I squad significant?
Amanjot Kaur, a seam-bowling all-rounder, had been sidelined since the T20I series in South Africa earlier in 2026 due to a back injury. Her recall bolsters India's pace-bowling options in the shortest format, particularly ahead of the 2027 Women's Champions Trophy.
Which players lost their places following the return of Jemimah and Amanjot?
Minnu Mani and Jintimani Kalita made way in the T20I squad to accommodate the returning pair. Uma Chetry was dropped from the Test squad, while Kalita was included in the red-ball team.
