Mon Nov 24 05:20:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten version as a news article:

Summary:

KL Rahul has been appointed captain of the Indian ODI team for the upcoming three-match series against South Africa, a decision that surprised many considering Rishabh Pant’s recent captaincy experience in Tests. The move is primarily due to Shubman Gill’s neck injury and Shreyas Iyer’s rib injury making them unavailable. A key factor in Pant’s exclusion from captaincy consideration is his limited ODI appearances (only one match) in the past year. Gill’s injury seems more serious than initially thought, sidelining him for the entire South Africa white-ball leg.

News Article:

Rahul Named ODI Captain for South Africa Series, Pant Overlooked Due to Limited ODI Play

Guwahati, India – In a surprising move, KL Rahul has been named captain of the Indian One Day International (ODI) team for the upcoming three-match series against South Africa, starting November 30th. The decision comes as regular captain Shubman Gill is sidelined due to a neck injury sustained during the first Test match against South Africa.

Many expected Rishabh Pant, who is currently leading the Test side in the second match, to be the natural choice for ODI captaincy. ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer being unavailable due to a rib-cage injury further added to the presumption that Pant would get the nod.

However, sources within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reveal that Pant’s lack of consistent ODI game time played a crucial role in his exclusion. “Rishabh (Pant) wasn’t considered as he has played only one ODI game in the last one year,” a BCCI source told PTI. Pant’s last ODI appearance was in August 2024 against Sri Lanka and he was not part of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad.

Shubman Gill’s neck injury, initially deemed minor, has proven more serious, requiring hospitalization. While Gill was discharged, the BCCI is taking no chances, ruling him out of the remainder of the Test series and potentially the entire white-ball leg against South Africa. He is expected to return to action in January 2026 for the home series against New Zealand.

The squad named for the ODI series includes 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, and Dhruv Jurel.

The selection raises questions about the long-term ODI captaincy plans for India, particularly with Gill’s injury potentially impacting his availability in the short term. It is understood that Rahul’s captaincy stint is a one-off and should be seen in isolation.

Mint Sports will continue to provide updates on this developing story and all the latest news from the world of cricket, football, and tennis.

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