Fit-again Hardik, Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar back for South Africa ODI series
Ahmedabad: All-rounder Hardik Pandya returned to the Indian squad for the three-match ODI series against South Africa after a six-month injury lay-off along with fit-again senior opener Shikhar Dhawan and seasoned seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
This is the first selection meeting under new chairman Sunil Joshi.
However, vice-captain Rohit Sharma is yet to fully recuperate from his calf muscle injury and is expected to return to action during the Indian Premier League later this month.
Pacer Shardul Thakur and all-rounder Shivam Dube were dropped from the squad that played the ODIs in New Zealand while veteran Kedar Jadhav made way for young Shubman Gill, who played his last ODI more than a year back.
Pandya's comeback was eagerly awaited by the team management after he underwent a back surgery. He proved his fitness with some blazing innings in the DY Patil Corporate T20 tournament under the watchful eyes of former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad.
Dhawan, who suffered a shoulder dislocation during Australia ODIs is also fit along with Bhuvneshwar, who underwent a sports hernia surgery in London.
Dhawan's comeback meant exit for Mayank Agarwal, who wasted three chances in New Zealand while Prithvi Shaw's positive batting has won him the vote of team management which enabled him to retain his place in the side.
The three ODIs will be played in Dharamsala (March 12), Lucknow (March 15) and Kolkata (March 18).
India's ODI squad: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli (C), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill.
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US Consulate in Dubai reportedly attacked
Dubai: Smoke was seen rising from an area near the United States Consulate in Dubai, according to witness accounts cited by Reuters.
There was no immediate official confirmation on the extent of damage or whether there were any casualties in the incident.
Earlier, the US embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, was also attacked. Authorities reported damage to the premises, but no casualties were recorded.
The developments come amid heightened tensions in the region, with Iran continuing to target US interests in the Middle East following deadly attacks launched on Saturday by Israel and the United States.
Near US embassy in Dubai pic.twitter.com/z5VTZNVxNO
— Sahil Shah (@thesahilsshah) March 3, 2026
