Announcements about India’s cricket squad always spark curiosity but this time, the choices stirred even more conversations than usual.
When the BCCI revealed the team for the upcoming ODI series against South Africa, set to begin on November 30 in Ranchi, many fans wondered why KL Rahul was chosen as captain, especially with senior players like Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer unavailable. And even more surprising to some was the absence of Rishabh Pant from any leadership discussion.
A few hours after the squad list went public, a BCCI source explained what went on behind the scenes. The selectors did consider Rishabh Pant who is currently leading India in the ongoing Test series but ultimately felt that he wasn’t the right choice for this particular assignment. The source shared that Rishabh Pant had played only one ODI for India in the past year and with such limited involvement in the 50-over format, the selectors didn’t want to hand him the captaincy at this stage. Instead, they viewed the South Africa series as a short-term responsibility that suited KL Rahul better.
The source also mentioned that KL Rahul’s captaincy is not part of any long-term plan and should be seen as a one-time decision for this series alone. The selectors expect Shubman Gill, who is recovering from a neck injury, to return in time for the ODI series against New Zealand scheduled for January 2026.
The squad announcement also highlighted the rise of a few young players. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been in excellent form for India A, earned his spot after scoring a century and a half-century in the recent unofficial ODI series against South Africa A. His performances made him an easy pick in Shubman Gill’s absence, though it remains to be seen whether he can edge out Yashasvi Jaiswal for an opening position.
Tilak Varma also made his way back into the ODI team and is expected to step into the No. 4 role, filling in for Shreyas Iyer. With fresh talent and a temporary shift in leadership, India’s upcoming matches promise both new opportunities and new questions about what the future team might look like.
