KL Rahul to become India's permanent ODI captain for 2027 World Cup? BCCI's verdict passed
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In regular skipper Shubman Gill's absence, Indian selectors have appointed veteran batter KL Rahul as the stand-in skipper for the three-match ODI series against South Africa. He left behind Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant in the race for captaincy.
The Indian team announced the squad for the three-match ODI series against South Africa. The series is scheduled to begin just days after the Test series ends in Guwahati. The series begins on the 30th of November
Captain Shubman Gill, who was ruled out of the Test series as well with a neck spasm, faced during the first match at the Eden Gardens. Also, ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out since the laceration injury in Australia. Hence, India was forced to undergo a drastic change in leadership.
KL Rahul appointed India's ODI skipper over Rishabh Pant—Know Why?
With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli no longer candidates for captaincy, KL Rahul remains one of the seniormost players within the current Indian setup. Hence, KL Rahul took over the reins of the team after regular skipper Shubman Gill was ruled out by a neck injury.
The Indian team and the management believe that Shubman Gill will be back to feature in the next white-ball series against New Zealand; hence, the KL Rahul switch is a very short-term plan.
"KL Rahul's captaincy is a 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)," a BCCI source told PTI on condition of anonymity.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tilak Varma find their way into India's ODI lineup
Much-talked-about talent, Ruturaj Gaikwad, is finally set to make an ODI return in the upcoming series against South Africa. He was recently part of the unofficial ODIs against South Africa A and impressed with the bat.
In three matches, the 28-year-old CSK skipper amassed 117, 68* and 25 runs. Gaikwad was called into the squad in the absence of both right-handed batters, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is most likely to get his much-awaited call-up for the longer format of white-ball cricket and open the innings alongside former skipper Rohit Sharma, in Shubman Gill's absence.
In the middle-order spot, Gaikwad would have to fight with the likes of Rishabh Pant and Tilak Varma, who are quite regular in the Indian lineup.
Ravindra Jadeja is all set for a return since the Champions Trophy
Veteran Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is all set to make his return to the white-ball format for the first time since his last appearance in the ICC Champions Trophy final. However, Jasprit Bumrah has been kept lined up for Tests and T20S as of now, with the T20 World Cup preparations for next year.
With Jadeja's return, Axar Patel has been snubbed from the side, as he was too regular across all formats for India and would need to shed off his workload a little. Hardik Pandya misses out again due to his injury, and Mohammed Siraj has once again been rested.
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India National Cricket Team South Africa National Cricket Team India vs South Africa South Africa vs India KL Rahul Rishabh Pant Shubman Gill Shreyas Iyer
