(Image source from: Crickettimes.com)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed a squad of 15 players for the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa on Sunday, November 23. KL Rahul will be the captain, and he will be joined by senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Rahul has been in charge of India for 12 ODIs from 2022 to 2023 and will lead the team in the absence of the usual captain, Shubman Gill. Gill will not play in the series, starting on November 29, due to a neck injury he sustained during a Test match against South Africa in Kolkata earlier this month. He is also missing the current second Test in Guwahati. The senior selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, decided to appoint Rahul as captain, even with Rohit Sharma available to step in. Rohit had been the captain until the Champions Trophy, after which Gill took over.
India will also miss vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, who got a rib injury while fielding in an ODI in Sydney. He was taken to the ICU after doctors found a tear in his spleen and will be out for at least two months. Although he is recovering, his doctors have advised that he should not engage in intense activity for at least another month, according to sources. The first ODI will take place in Ranchi on November 30, followed by games in Raipur and Visakhapatnam on December 3 and 6, respectively. After these one-day matches, India will face five T20Is from December 9 to 19. There was some expectation that the BCCI would also announce the T20I squad on Sunday, but it seems the selectors have decided to wait for more information about Shubman Gill’s situation.
In the meantime, India has brought back Tilak Varma and Ruturaj Gaikwad to the ODI team. They are stepping in for captain Gill and vice-captain Iyer. Tilak has played four ODIs, while Ruturaj has six appearances, and both last played in this format in December 2023 during India's tour of South Africa. Both also participated in a three-match one-day series for India A against South Africa A in Rajkot last week. Ruturaj played impressively, scoring 117, 68 not out, and 25 runs. Tilak showcased his all-around abilities, making 79 runs total and taking one wicket across three matches.
T20I opener Abhishek Sharma also took part in the three-match A series, but he was not selected for the ODI squad. India has invited Ravindra Jadeja back to the ODI team after he missed the tour to Australia last month. He is taking the place of Axar Patel, who is likely being rested for this series. Many wondered if Jadeja's ODI career was finished after he was not selected for the Australia tour. However, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had previously stated that the all-rounder who helped win the Champions Trophy was still in consideration.
At the same time, Jasprit Bumrah has been given a break from the ODI series due to a significant amount of play over the past few months. The fast bowler participated in the five-match T20I series in Australia and took part in both Test matches against South Africa. India hopes Bumrah will be healthy and ready for the T20 World Cup that will take place in February and March of next year, and it is unlikely that he will join the ODI games until that time. Meanwhile, the comeback of Hardik Pandya has been postponed. The all-rounder, who faced a thigh injury during the Asia Cup in September, is anticipated to make his return to international cricket during the T20I series against South Africa. As reported by the media, Hardik has been advised to play a few domestic T20 matches before rejoining the international scene. Mohammed Siraj has also been rested for this series, leading India to rely on a less experienced fast bowling lineup consisting of Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Harshit Rana.
Even though they lack experience, India has chosen not to bring back Mohammed Shami, who has openly expressed his frustration about not being included in the senior national team.
NEWS #TeamIndia's squad for @IDFCFIRSTBank ODI series against South Africa announced.
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 23, 2025
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Team India Squad for South Africa Series:
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.
