KL Rahul to captain India in South Africa ODI series as Shubman Gill ruled out

KL Rahul has been named captain of India for the upcoming three-match One Day International (ODI) series against South Africa, stepping in for regular captain Shubman Gill who has been sidelined with a neck injury.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the announcement after medical staff advised that Gill, who sustained the injury while batting during the first Test against South Africa earlier this month, would not be available for selection. Shreyas Iyer, who was vice-captain for the Australia tour, has also been ruled out as he continues to recover from injury.

The decision places Rahul at the centre of India’s leadership group for the limited-overs leg of the tour, marking another shift in captaincy responsibility during a period of rotation influenced by fitness concerns and packed schedules. Rahul, India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in ODIs, will lead a squad that blends senior experience with developing talent.

One of the biggest talking points is the return of wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant to the ODI squad, having last played the format in August 2024. His comeback places him among several contenders for a role in India’s middle order, alongside Rahul, Virat Kohli and Tilak Varma.

Tilak Varma has been rewarded for recent domestic and A-team performances. Though his ODI record remains limited, selectors appear to be investing in his potential, especially following his involvement in India’s recent one-day series against South Africa A. Varma could find himself competing directly with Pant for a place in the starting XI.

Veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will anchor the top order, while young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to partner Rohit in Gill’s absence. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who impressed for India A with three strong performances in the Rajkot one-day series, has been named as the reserve opening option.

India’s bowling attack reflects workload management considerations following a busy home Test schedule and overseas tour. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have been rested, with the team instead relying on Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana as the frontline pace trio. Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja provide three spin choices, and Nitish Kumar Reddy offers a seam-bowling all-round option.

Axar Patel misses out following the return of Jadeja. Dhruv Jurel, who recently broke into the national side, has retained his spot as an additional wicketkeeping and middle-order option.

The squad announcement arrives amid continued uncertainty over the status of allrounder Hardik Pandya, who is completing the final phase of recovery from a quadriceps injury. He has been named in Baroda’s domestic T20 squad and could be considered for the T20I series depending on his fitness.

The ODI series begins on 30 November in Ranchi, followed by fixtures in Raipur on 3 December and Visakhapatnam on 6 December. The two sides will also play a five-match T20I series after the ODI leg concludes.

Context

Odisha’s ODI tour marks India’s final 50-over assignment of the year and comes during an intense period of cricket that has seen several changes in leadership due to injuries and rotation. India has increasingly relied on rotational captaincy in white-ball formats as it manages workloads across long Test commitments and the global T20 calendar.

While results in the three-match series will shape rankings and momentum ahead of future tournaments, the matches also offer an opportunity to evaluate India’s evolving squad depth, especially in the absence of several senior first-choice players. The performances of Pant, Jaiswal, Tilak Varma and Ruturaj Gaikwad are expected to receive close attention as India continues to build toward long-term squad stability.

With South Africa at home and India adjusting to altered leadership and selection combinations, the ODI series is set to provide insight into India’s adaptability under Rahul’s captaincy when the first ball is bowled in Ranchi.