The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday announced the 18-member India squad for the 3-match ODI series against South Africa, scheduled to be played between January 19 and 23. KL Rahul will be leading the Indian team in the three-match ODI series against South Africa in the absence of newly-appointed skipper Rohit Sharma, who is still unavailable due to injury, selectors said on Friday.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will be vice-captain for the series. Fast bowler Mohammed Shami has been rested while Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja remain unfit. Earlier, Kohli, who relinquished the Twenty20 captaincy, was removed as India’s ODI skipper as well, because the selectors did not want to have two different white-ball captains. The ODI series begins on January 19 after the Test series in which India lead 1-0. The second Test begins on January 3.
Rohit had been appointed captain of the ODI team earlier this month as he replaced Virat Kohli who had stepped down from the role of T20I captaincy as well. However, Rohit had suffered a hamstring injury during a net session ahead of India’s departure for South Africa for the Test series. He was ruled out of the Test series and headed to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for his rehab.
Team India for three ODI series against South Africa announced.
The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Mr KL Rahul as Captain for the ODI series as Mr Rohit Sharma is ruled out owing to an injury.
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— BCCI (@BCCI) December 31, 2021
Meanwhile, Rahul has started the South Africa tour on a fantastic note, playing a vital role in India’s maiden Test win in Centurion and becoming just the second India opener to have struck a Test century on South African soil. He is currently the vice-captain of the Test team, again filling in for Rohit in the role.
TEAM : KL Rahul (Capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Y Chahal, R Ashwin, W Sundar, J Bumrah (VC), Bhuvneshwar Kumar,Deepak Chahar, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 31, 2021
Opener Ruturaj Gaikwad and all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer were picked for their maiden overseas assignment. Both of them were highly impressive in the recently-concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021 campaign. Gaikwad, in fact, had scored 603 runs from 5 matches at a staggering average of 150.75 with 4 centuries to his name. Kohli, Pant, Bumrah have returned to the ODI fold after 9 months.
India squad for South Africa ODIs: KL Rahul (Capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Y Chahal, R Ashwin, W Sundar, J Bumrah (VC), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj
