India have announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa. KL Rahul will lead the team. The decision came after captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer were ruled out because of injuries. Many fans had expected Rishabh Pant to captain the side if Gill and Iyer were unavailable. But the selectors chose a different direction.
Why KL Rahul Was Picked as Captain
The selection committee explained that Rahul is more experienced in the format. He has been a regular part of the Playing XI in recent years. Pant, on the other hand, has hardly played ODIs in the last two years. That became the main reason why he was not considered for captaincy this time.
A BCCI official explained the decision clearly.
“KL Rahul’s captaincy is one off and should be seen in isolation. Rishabh (Pant) wasn’t considered as he has played only one ODI game in the last one year. The selectors expect that Shubman Gill’s neck injury will heal and he will be back against New Zealand (3 ODIs in January 2026),” the official told NDTV Sports.
Rahul’s recent ODI record also played a big role. Since 2023, he has batted mostly in the middle order. He has scored 1332 runs in 35 innings. His tally includes two centuries and seven fifties. He also performed well in the Champions Trophy. He finished key games for India during their successful campaign. Pant, meanwhile, remained on the bench for most of that tournament.
Pant’s ODI career has been slow in recent years. He played 12 ODIs in 2022. He did not play any in 2023. He then played only one ODI in 2024. However, he will get a fresh chance in this series. He has been picked as the main wicketkeeper. Rahul will play only as a specialist batter.
The ODI series begins on November 30. India will play in Ranchi, Raipur, and Visakhapatnam. The team will look to start the new ODI cycle strongly. Fans will also watch closely how Pant performs after his long break from the format.
India’s ODI Squad against South Africa
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (captain), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dhruv Jurel.
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India vs South Africa ODIs Schedule
1st ODI: November 30, 1:30 PM, Ranchi
2nd ODI: December 03, 1:30 PM, Raipur
3rd ODI: December 06, 1:30 PM, Visakhapatnam
