Why KL Rahul was chosen as Indian captain for IND vs SA ODIs ahead of Rishabh Pant

KL Rahul is all set to don the captain’s hat as he will lead the side in the upcoming IND vs SA ODI series in the absence of Shubman Gill. The selection committee led by chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced the 15-member squad for the three-match series on Sunday. While reports had earlier stated that Rishabh Pant was also in the running to become the stand-in ODI captain, a BCCI source has now revealed why Rahul was picked over the southpaw even though the latter is currently leading the Indian Test side in the absence of Gill.

BCCI explains why Rahul was named ODI captain

As per news agency PTI, a source claimed that Rahul’s captaincy was just a stop-gap arrangement and that it should be seen in isolation. The source pointed out that Pant had played just one ODI in the past year and hence was not seen as an ideal candidate for captain. The source added that the selectors were optimistic about Gill recovering in time for the series against New Zealand.

“Rahul’s captaincy is a one-off and should be seen in isolation. Rishabh (Pant) wasn’t considered, as he has played only one ODI game in the last one year. The selectors expect that Shubman Gill’s neck injury will heal and he will be back against New Zealand (3 ODIs in January 2026),” a BCCI source told PTI.

Pant has been sidelined from the 50-over format since he has last featured in an ODI in August 2024. Rahul has been the first-choice wicketkeeper in the format and has managed to keep the southpaw out of the team so far. However, this time around, the selectors have named three keepers in the squad for IND vs SA ODIs – Rahul, Pant and Dhruv Jurel. It could very well be possible that Rahul will play as a pure batter while Pant dons the keeper gloves.