KL Rahul appointed India ODI captain for upcoming South Africa series

Senior batter K.L. Rahul has been appointed as India’s captain for the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, starting November 30, 2025. The announcement came on Sunday, November 23, after regular skipper Shubman Gill was ruled out due to a neck injury sustained during the first Test in Kolkata.

 

Rishabh Pant has been named as the vice-captain for the series. The ODIs are scheduled across three venues: Ranchi (November 30), Raipur (December 3), and Visakhapatnam (December 6).

The Indian ODI squad features a mix of experienced players and emerging talents: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (C), Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Dhruv Jurel. 

 

Rahul’s appointment comes at a crucial time as India looks to maintain momentum after the ongoing Test series against South Africa. With his leadership, the team will aim to blend experience with youth to secure a strong start in the ODI leg of the tour.

 

K.L. Rahul’s Leadership Record 

KL Rahul captaincy record in all formats
Format	Matches	Won	Lost	Tied	Drawn	No Result	Win%
Test	3	2	1	0	0	0	66.67
ODI	12	8	4	0	0	0	66.67
T20I	1	1	0	0	0	0	100
Total	16	11	5	0	0	0	68.75

 

K.L. Rahul has previously served as stand-in captain in ODIs and boasts a solid track record, winning eight of the 12 matches he has led. Under his captaincy, India has secured series victories against Australia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, highlighting his ability to manage the team effectively.

 

However, Rahul’s leadership journey has also seen challenges; his debut series as India’s ODI captain in 2022 ended in a 3-0 whitewash against South Africa. Despite that setback, his experience as a stand-in skipper and familiarity with leading the side in limited-overs cricket positions him well to guide India in the upcoming three-match series against South Africa.