KL Rahul has been named captain of the Indian squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, stepping in for Shubman Gill, who is sidelined due to a neck injury. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad on Sunday, November 23, 2025, confirming Gill's unavailability for the ODI series.

Gill sustained the neck injury during the first Test match against South Africa in Kolkata and subsequently missed the second Test in Guwahati. The BCCI reported that Gill requires further rest and monitoring, leading to his exclusion from the ODI squad. While Gill is expected to recover before the T20I series, which commences on December 9, his participation will depend on a further medical evaluation.

The ODI series is scheduled to begin on November 30 at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. The second ODI will be held on December 3 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, followed by the final match on December 6 at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

The ODI squad sees the return of veteran players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who will be playing on home soil for the first time since February. Both Kohli and Sharma now exclusively participate in the 50-over format after retiring from T20Is following the team's 2024 World Cup victory and earlier this year from Tests. Rishabh Pant also makes a comeback to the ODI team, last playing an ODI in August 2024 against Sri Lanka. He has been appointed as the vice-captain for the series.

The squad includes Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad, with Gaikwad replacing Gill in the 15-member squad. Other players in the squad are Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Dhruv Jurel.

Selectors have rested key fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj for the ODI series. Hardik Pandya is also likely to miss the ODI series, with a potential return for the T20I series.

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

South Africa has already announced their squad, which will be led by Temba Bavuma.