KL Rahul Steps Up as Captain for India's ODI Series Against South Africa

KL Rahul Takes Charge Amid Injury Concerns

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], November 29: With Shubman Gill sidelined due to injury, KL Rahul has stepped in as the stand-in captain for the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, commencing on November 30 in Ranchi.

Gill, who is just 26 years old, suffered a neck spasm during the second day of the first Test in Kolkata against South Africa. He had to leave the field after facing only three balls in the first innings and was subsequently taken to the hospital.

Due to his slow recovery, Gill has been ruled out not only of the second Test in Guwahati but also of the ODI series against the Proteas.

During a pre-match press conference, Rahul shared that he was informed of his captaincy role just a day prior to the announcement. He expressed enthusiasm about embracing this responsibility.

Rahul stated, "I was told the opportunity might arise just a day before the announcement. I have captained before, and it’s thrilling. I look forward to enjoying this responsibility and making the right decisions for the team."

Regarding his batting position, Rahul confirmed, "I will continue batting at number 6, a position I’ve held since the Champions Trophy. We have several all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Reddy, and we will finalize the best XI later today."

In his career at number six, Rahul has accumulated 243 runs over 10 innings, boasting a top score of 42 not out and an average of 40.50.

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