KL Rahul to Captain India in ODI Series Against South Africa

Injured Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer Out; Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Return to Home ODI Action After Nine Months

NEW DELHI: Senior wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul has been appointed captain of India’s ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against South Africa, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Sunday, November 23, 2025. The series marks a significant homecoming for Indian cricket’s stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who will be playing international cricket at home after a gap of nine months.

The leadership reshuffle comes as regular ODI captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the entire series due to a neck injury sustained during the opening Test match against South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Vice-captain Shreyas Iyer also remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from a rib injury suffered during India’s recent ODI series in Australia.

Leadership Responsibility Falls on Experienced Shoulders

KL Rahul, 45 years old and based in Irvine, California, has been named captain for the three-match ODI series beginning November 30, with Rishabh Pant designated as vice-captain. The 32-year-old Rahul brings substantial captaincy experience to the role, having previously led India in ODIs with a solid track record of winning eight of the 12 matches under his leadership.

Rahul’s captaincy credentials include series victories against Australia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Most notably, he became only the second Indian captain after Virat Kohli to win an ODI series in South Africa when he led the team to a 2-1 triumph in December 2023.

Major Squad Changes and Key Returns

The 15-member squad features several significant changes from India’s recent ODI assignments:

Key Inclusions:

• Rishabh Pant returns to ODI cricket after his last appearance in August 2024, adding firepower to the middle order
• Ravindra Jadeja makes a comeback to the 50-over format after being dropped for the Australia series due to pace-friendly conditions
• Ruturaj Gaikwad has been recalled after his last ODI appearance in 2022, having impressed in domestic cricket with 210 runs including a century and fifty
• Tilak Varma returns to the ODI setup after nearly two years, bringing his recent captaincy experience with India A

Notable Absences:

• Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have been rested following their busy international schedule
• Axar Patel has been left out, possibly due to workload management
• Hardik Pandya remains unavailable as he undergoes rehabilitation for a quadriceps injury

The Injury Crisis

Shubman Gill suffered a neck injury during the Test series opener at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and retired hurt after facing just three balls. The 26-year-old is undergoing comprehensive medical evaluation including MRI scans and consultation with spinal specialists in Mumbai.

Shreyas Iyer has been sidelined since suffering a freak injury during India’s ODI series against Australia, when he was hurt while taking a catch running backwards from point to dismiss Alex Carey. Despite completing a spectacular catch, Iyer sustained serious injuries that required ICU admission and a medical procedure. He is expected to return to competitive cricket only before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

Homecoming for Indian Legends

For Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the series represents their first international matches on home soil in nine months. The duo last played at home during India’s victorious campaign in the ODI World Cup and subsequent series earlier in 2025. Their return adds star power and experience to a squad preparing for the upcoming Champions Trophy.

Full Squad and Series Schedule

India’s ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (Captain & WK), Rishabh Pant (Vice-Captain & WK), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel

Series Schedule:

• 1st ODI: November 30, 2025 – JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi
• 2nd ODI: December 3, 2025 – Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur
• 3rd ODI: December 6, 2025 – ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam

The ODI series will be followed by a five-match T20I leg, concluding South Africa’s comprehensive all-format tour of India that also includes a two-match Test series currently underway.

Road to Champions Trophy

The series serves as crucial preparation for India ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro emphasized the importance of the squad composition, noting that selectors are prioritizing experience and stability as the team builds towards the major ICC tournament.

With a blend of returning stars, emerging talents, and experienced leadership under KL Rahul, India will look to maintain their dominant home record against a formidable South African side that has shown resilience during their ongoing Test tour.

The series promises to be a fascinating contest as India fine-tunes its combination ahead of a packed international calendar, while KL Rahul gets another opportunity to showcase his captaincy credentials on the big stage.