Ruturaj Gaikwad removed from India's Playing XI vs South Africa

Rajasthan Royals (RR) shared a cryptic post on social media following young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal's inclusion in the Indian squad for the upcoming three-match series against South Africa. The Jaipur-based franchise included Jaiswal in the playing XI ahead of Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was in stunning form in the format.

On Sunday, November 23, the BCCI named a 15-member squad for the upcoming ODI series against South Africa. KL Rahul will lead the Indian side, with several regular players left out due to injuries and workload considerations. The first match between India and South Africa will take place in Ranchi on November 30.

KL Rahul Named India's Skipper for ODI Series Against South Africa

India will head into the ODI series against South Africa without skipper Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer. Gill is recovering from the neck issue he picked up during the Kolkata Test. Meanwhile, Iyer has been out of action since the spleen injury he suffered in the Sydney ODI.

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The selectors have recalled Rishabh Pant, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Ravindra Jadeja, but Axar Patel has been omitted from the squad. Senior figures Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are part of the lineup, while Jasprit Bumrah has not been included.

With the regular captain unavailable, KL Rahul will take charge of the ODI side. Rahul has previously led India in 12 matches, guiding the team to eight wins and four defeats. He last captained the Indian ODI team during the three-match away series in December 2023.

Rohit Sharma to Open; Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad in Contention

Rohit Sharma will look to continue his good form at the top of the order. However, he will have a new opening partner in the absence of Shubman Gill. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad are both in contention.

Following the squad announcement, Rajasthan Royals took to social media to pick India’s top three for the ODI series. The franchise expressed excitement over Yashasvi Jaiswal’s spot in the lineup alongside Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the three-match series against South Africa.

That top 3 😮‍💨 https://t.co/mbbA2cT3nF pic.twitter.com/PWUeD7CsA5

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) November 23, 2025

The Jaipur-based franchise ignored Ruturaj Gaikwad for the top order. Gaikwad returned to the Indian national cricket team after a 16-month gap following his impressive performances.

Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Ruturaj Gaikwad for the Opener’s Role in IND vs SA ODIs

Jaiswal has played only one ODI so far. It came against England in Nagpur in 2024, where he scored 15 runs. The left-handed batter has been a backup opener in the format and has not received many chances in the playing XI.

Gaikwad, on the other hand, has featured in six ODIs. He has opened the innings in four of them and has scored 98 out of his 115 ODI runs at the top. He has more experience than Jaiswal in this format.

Gaikwad has 4,534 runs in 89 List A matches with an average of 57.39. Jaiswal has 1,526 runs in 33 List A games at an average of 52.62. Gaikwad is also in excellent touch at the moment. In the recent three-match series between India A and South Africa A, he recorded scores of 117, 68*, and 25 while opening.

Gaikwad looks the better choice to open in the ODIs against South Africa. However, Jaiswal was with the squad for India’s last ODI series, where they lost 1-2.

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