KL Rahul Appointed India’s ODI Captain Over Rishabh Pant: Surprising Reason Revealed

India is set to begin a three-match ODI series against South Africa on 30 November, and the BCCI announced the squad on 23 November. With regular ODI captain Shubman Gill sidelined due to a neck injury sustained during the first Test against South Africa, the selectors have made a striking decision regarding leadership.

KL Rahul to Lead in Shubman Gill’s Absence
In Shubman Gill’s absence, KL Rahul has been handed the captaincy for the upcoming ODI series. Interestingly, Rishabh Pant, who captained the Test side in Gill’s absence, is part of the ODI squad but has not been considered for leadership. This decision has raised questions among fans and cricket pundits alike.

The Reason Behind the Decision
A BCCI source, speaking to PTI on condition of anonymity, explained: “KL Rahul’s leadership is straightforward and should be seen independently. Rishabh Pant was not considered for the role because he has played only one ODI in the past year. The selectors expect Shubman Gill to recover from his neck injury and return for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand in January 2026.”

Series Schedule and Squad
The three-match series will begin on 30 November in Ranchi, followed by the second ODI in Raipur on 3 December, and the final match in Visakhapatnam on 6 December.

India’s squad for the ODI series against South Africa:
Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (Captain, Wicketkeeper), Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasiddh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel.