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Dhoni, Kohli return to take on Proteas

Rested players named to return against South Africa in T20s and ODIs

India limited-overs captain MS Dhoni and star batsman Virat Kohli are among a host of big names set to return against South Africa next month, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced.

India rested a contingent of stars during their team’s most recent limited-overs series - against Zimbabwe in July - but the likes of Dhoni and Kohli been named in Twenty20 and one-day international squads for the blockbuster series against fellow World Cup semi-finalists South Africa.

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Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravi Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan and Umesh Yadav also return to the line-up, while veteran Harbhajan Singh retained his place in the T20 squad after playing his first international limited-overs game in three years in Zimbabwe.

Dhoni last played for India against Bangladesh in June, but smashed the winning runs for the Help for Heroes XI as they beat the Rest of the World XI by four wickets at last week’s Cricket for Heroes match in Surrey, England.

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Seamer Sreenath Aravind is the new face in the T20 squad to meet the Proteas in three matches, while uncapped allrounder Gurkeerat Singh Mann was included for the five-match ODI series.

Both are part of the India A squad which has been playing Bangladesh A in a series of 50-over matches.

Gurkeerat scored a century and picked up a five wickets in the first unofficial ODI and Aravind took 3-29 in the same match.

South Africa will play three T20Is, five ODIs and four Tests during a tour that runs from October 2 to December 7.

India T20I squad: MS Dhoni (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane, Stuart Binny, Ambati Rayudu, R Ashwin, Akshar Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma, Amit Mishra, S Aravind.

India ODI squad: MS Dhoni (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane, Stuart Binny, R Ashwin, Akshar Patel, Gurkeerat Mann, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav.