 "IND vs SA ODI Series: Rishabh Pant, Ruturaj Gaikwad to return to India's XI? Here's what KL Rahul said")
Stand-in captain KL Rahul kept his cards close to his chest as he did not reveal whether the recent additions to the ODI squad like Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad will get a chance or not in the opening 50-over match against South Africa on Sunday, November 30 in Ranchi.
Pant and Gaikwad were both recalled to the One-day set-up in the absence of captain Shubman Gill and his deputy Shreyas Iyer who are both out injured. India and South Africa are playing a three-match ODI series against the Proteas starting November 30 and speculations are rife over who will take the vacant slots in the playing XI.
‘Pant will keep wickets but…’
Speaking to the press on the eve of the match, Rahul said Rishabh Pant will keep wickets if he plays but that will be decided later.
“For Rishabh, he is good enough to play as a specialist batter, but we will see tomorrow. Of course if he is playing, he will take the gloves, but we will see that tomorrow," Rahul said.
Pant has not played ODIs since August 2024 and was not part of India’s squad for the recent Australia tour.
‘Gaikwad is a phenomenal player’
Rahul praised Gaikwad and said that he looks forward to giving opportunities to the right-hander.
“Ruturaj Gaikwad is a phenomenal player. The dynamics of our ODI top 5-6 are such that it is very settled. But he has done well in whatever limited opportunities he has had. Looking forward to giving him the opportunity in this series," Rahul said.
Gaikwad was last part of the ODI side in December 2023. He has only played six One-dayers so far but recently was the Player of the Series against South Africa A in a three-match 50-over series. He will face tough competition from Yashasvi Jaiswal for the opening slot.
Rahul to bat at No 6
Regarding his captaincy, Rahul said he was not thinking too much about leadership.
“I have captained the side before. It is something that is very exciting. I look forward to enjoying that responsibility. I have always enjoyed responsibility, making the right decisions for the team. That’s about it. I don’t think too much about it,” said Rahul.
Rahul also said that he will continue to bat No 6 where he has batted in recent times. However, with Axar Patel not in the squad, speculations were that the stand-in captain will move to No 5.
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