Raina returns to T20 squad

India on Sunday recalled veteran batsman Suresh Raina to their Twenty20 squad for a three-match series in South Africa next month.

The 31-year-old left-hander, who last played a T20 against England in February last year, was included in the 16-member squad led by Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket board said on Sunday. The series starts February 18 in Johannesburg.

The selectors kept faith with young wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav ahead of seniors Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.

India, who lost the Test series against the Proteas 2-1, have six one-day internationals starting February 1 before the T20I games.

India's squad for the T20I series: Virat Kohli (capt) Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Jaydev Unadkat, Shardul Thakur.