KL Rahul, the stand-in captain for the India vs. South Africa ODI series, has strongly hinted at the inclusion of Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the playing XI. With Shubman Gill and vice-captain Rohit Sharma sidelined due to injuries, opportunities have opened up for fresh faces in the squad.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Rahul indicated that Pant is likely to be a starter and might also take on wicket-keeping duties. "For Rishabh, he is good enough to play as a specialist batter, but we will see tomorrow," Rahul stated. "Of course, if he is playing, he will take the gloves, but we will see that tomorrow". Rahul's statement suggests that Pant's inclusion is almost certain, and the final decision revolves around whether Rahul or Pant will don the gloves.
Pant's return to the ODI format is noteworthy, having last played an ODI in August 2024 against Sri Lanka. Despite being a regular in Tests, Pant's ODI numbers haven't been as impressive, with 871 runs from 31 ODIs at an average of 33.50.
Rahul also spoke highly of Ruturaj Gaikwad, stating, "Ruturaj Gaikwad is a phenomenal player". Gaikwad's inclusion in the ODI team follows his strong performances in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 and the unofficial one-day series against South Africa A. Rahul acknowledged Gaikwad's talent and expressed eagerness to provide him with more opportunities in the series. "He has done well in whatever limited opportunities he has had. Looking forward to giving him the opportunity in this series," Rahul added. Gaikwad last played an ODI on December 19, 2023, against South Africa in Gqeberha.
KL Rahul also clarified his own batting position for the series. With Axar Patel rested for the series, Rahul confirmed that he would continue to bat at the No. 6 position. “I will be batting at 6; that's what I have been batting," he concluded.
The Indian squad for the ODI series includes Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant , Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Dhruv Jurel. With Rahul leading the team and the likely inclusion of Pant and Gaikwad, India aims to leverage its talent against South Africa in the upcoming series.
