In a major announcement on Sunday, the BCCI revealed a strong 15-member Indian squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, starting November 30. While senior stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been recalled, the biggest highlight is the return of Ravindra Jadeja to the ODI setup.
Meanwhile, KL Rahul has been named captain, replacing Shubman Gill, who continues to recover from a serious neck injury and has been advised rest.
Pant returns, Axar misses out
Rishabh Pant, who last played an ODI in September 2024, has made his comeback to the limited-overs team. Jadeja’s re-entry means Axar Patel has been dropped after featuring in the Australia ODI tour recently.
Ruturaj Gaikwad earned his spot following his impressive performances for India A on the South Africa tour. With Gill and Shreyas Iyer sidelined due to injuries, Gaikwad’s inclusion was expected.
No Samson, No Bumrah
Among wicketkeepers, Dhruv Jurel has been added as Pant’s back-up, making Sanju Samson one of the notable omissions. All-rounders Nitish Reddy and Harshit Rana have been included, while the spin attack will be handled by Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav. In the pace department, Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna have been picked, as senior bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are rested.
India’s ODI squad for South Africa
Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (C) (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel
