Rishabh Pant Likely to Captain India in Upcoming ODI Series Against South Africa

India’s cricket star Rishabh Pant is likely to captain the team in the upcoming ODI series against South Africa. The left-handed batter, who last played an ODI in August 2024, is making a return to the 50-over format and will lead the side as captain.

At the moment, Pant is also leading India in the second Test against South Africa, filling in for Shubman Gill. As per The Week, the Indian team management is in no rush to hurry Gill back into action after the neck injury that he suffered in Kolkata saw him being ruled out of the IND vs SA 2nd Test.

Rishabh Pant to Captain India in Upcoming ODI Series Against South Africa

Rishabh Pant Set to Lead India in Upcoming ODI Series vs South Africa Rishabh Pant, who is currently leading the Test team, is likely to captain the Indian team in the upcoming ODI series too. Although senior players like KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma could lead, the vice-captain Shreyas Iyer is also expected to miss the series. So, the selectors and team management have decided to rely on Pant to lead the ODIs as well.

Since Shubman Gill is a key player in India’s T20I team, the management doesn’t want to take any risks with him. He is a certain pick for India’s XI in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. The Punjab batter might even skip the ODI series so he can be fully fit for the T20Is against South Africa, scheduled from December 9 to 19.

Rishabh Pant last played an ODI in August 2024 against Sri Lanka. Since then, he hasn’t been part of India’s 50-over or T20I squads, with KL Rahul taking the spot as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in ODIs.