Dhoni leads India in South Africa

Mahendra Dhoni is one of the most exciting batsmen around

India will be captained by their dashing wicket-keeper/batsman Mahendra Dhoni at the ICC World Twenty20.

Dhoni takes the reins in the absence of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly - who had earlier all decided to avoid the tournament.

Batsman Virender Sehwag, discarded for the tour of England, makes a return.

But he is not included in a separate squad also announced on Tuesday for the seven one-day day internationals to be played in England after the Tests.

Bowlers Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan also return to India colours - but only for Twenty20 duty.

Paceman Munaf Patel is in the one-day squad after missing the Tests with back trouble.

The Twenty20 squad includes uncapped 24-year-old off-spinning all-rounder Yusuf Pathan, the brother of Irfan.

Meanwhile, Lalchand Rajput, who played two Tests in 1985, will manage the team as India's cricket board continues its search for a full-time coach.

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Twenty20 squad: Mahendra Dhoni (captain), Yuvraj Singh (vice-captain), Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa, Joginder Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, Yusuf Pathan, Piyush Chawla, Sree Santh, Irfan Pathan, RP Singh, Rohit Sharma, Ajit Agarkar, Harbhajan Singh.

One-day squad: Rahul Dravid (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Saurav Ganguly, Mahendra Dhoni, (vice-captain), Dinesh Karthik, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Piyush Chawla, Ramesh Powar, Ajit Agarkar, Rohit Sharma, Munaf Patel.