IND vs SA ODIs: Shubman Gill RULED OUT, KL Rahul vs Rishabh Pant for ODI Captaincy, BCCI To Announce Squad On Sunday; Report

India captain Shubman Gill continues to recover from his neck spasm and will not feature in the ODI series against South Africa. With Shreyas Iyer also ruled out, BCCI will have to pick a ad-hoc captain with KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant in contention alongside Axar Patel. A final decision is expected during the selection committee meeting on Sunday.

Gill was ruled out of the second Test after a neck spasm suffered at Eden Gardens. He has since travelled to Mumbai to consult specialists who have reportedly advised more rest. Gill consulted Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, the same doctor who operated on Rishabh Pant after his car accident. He is expected to be back for the t20I series starting on December 9.

As per TOI, Rishabh Pant is also in the mix given Shreyas Iyer's injury. India is keen to add more left-handers to their right-handed dominated XI in the 50-over format. Pant fits the bill at No.4, while Tilak Varma is also expected to be in the fray to play. Yashasvi Jaiswal will slot in for Shubman Gill.

Who captains India vs South Africa?

As things stand, KL Rahul and Axar Patel are two options in the Indian team. Rahul led in South Africa last year with a second string side to bag a series win. A regular in the ODI XI and with leadership experience, he would be the safe bet for Gambhir.

Axar Patel is another. The all-rounder unseated Ravindra Jadeja as India's spin bowling all-rounder. Patel was vice-captain to Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is before Shubman Gill's return to the side.

A left-field option would be Rishabh Pant. He is vice-captain in Tests and will lead the team in Guwahati. The left-hander is expected to return to the ODI squad in the absence of Shreyas Iyer. Pant last played an ODI in 2024, this only appearance in the format in 3 years.