KL Rahul (Source: AFP Photos)
In a significant development, the BCCI on Sunday named a strong 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series between India and South Africa, scheduled to begin on November 30. While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be back as expected, the return of Ravindra Jadeja made a lot of noise.
In another development, KL Rahul has been picked as India’s captain to replace Shubman Gill, who has been advised not to hurry after suffering a terrible neck injury.
Axar axed, Pant back!
Rishabh Pant, who last played an ODI match way back in September 2024 in Colombo, has cemented a place in the ODI squad as well.
Meanwhile, Jadeja’s last ODI appearance was in the Champions Trophy final, where he was exceptional with the ball against New Zealand, conceding 30 runs off his 10 overs while picking up a wicket. However, Axar Patel, who was picked in the ODI squad during India’s recent tour in Australia, failed to make the cut with Jadeja’s return.
Adding to that, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who had performed magnificently during India A’s recent series against South Africa A, has been rewarded as well. With Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer being ruled out due to injury concerns, Gaikwad’s selection, safe to say, was a no-brainer.
No Samson, Bumrah; Arshdeep, Prasidh among pacers
Among designated batters, Rohit and Kohli will have the company of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Verma, while Dhruv Jurel has been added as Pant’s back-up as a wicket-keeper, making Sanju Samson one of the major notable absentees. Nitish Reddy and Harshit Rana will be India’s all-round options, with Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav taking care of spin responsibilities.
To conclude, the pace department has been stacked with Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep Singh, with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj set to take a much-needed break.
India’s ODI squad for South Africa series
Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (C) (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel
