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Xtra Time Web Desk: Ajit Agarkar led selection committee is likely to meet on Thursday to pick the squads for upcoming tour to South Africa. Star India batter Virat Kohli has already made himself unavailable for the white ball leg of the tour which features 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is. BCCI has already requested Rohit Sharma to lead the T20I side for the upcoming tour.

As far as the test squad is concerned, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are expected to make a comeback in after the long injury lay-off. However, their inclusion will put Ajinkya Rahane’s selection in doubts while there is very slim chance of Cheteshwar Pujara to make a comeback.

The only way Rahane can make it into the test squad is if Rahul decides to keep wickets in Tests and Ishan Kishan becomes the second keeper, opening the doors for an extra batter in the squad. It will be interesting whether the selection committee will pick Rahane who is 35 years old or give opportunity to young blood. Rahul keeping wickets would mean that both him and Iyer can fit into the Test match-playing XI.

Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj will be the three main pacers in the side. The fight for the fourth pacer will be between Shardul Thakur and Mukesh Kumar, who impressed during the last test series against West Indies.

Ravindra Jadeja, as usual, will be the first-choice spinner in overseas conditions while Ravichandran Ashwin and one among Axar Patel or Kuldeep Yadav will complete the spinner’s lineup.

Kona Bharat, who has been very disappointed with the bat, will only get a look-in if Rahul doesn’t want to keep wickets.