Rahul to lead India as Axar omitted; Jadeja returns for SA ODIs

India unveiled its ODI squad for the three-match series against South Africa, naming KL Rahul as stand-in captain for the upcoming games. Ravindra Jadeja makes a return to the ODI setup after missing the Australia series, while Axar Patel has been left out. Varun Chakravarthy, who starred for India in the Champions Trophy, is also not included in the squad. Tilak Varma has been added to the middle order to inject more left-handed balance to the batting lineup.

Fans flooded social media with reactions, mixing memes and questions about Axar Patel's omission. One post on X described Axar's exclusion as shocking, while another asked what Axar could have done to deserve a spot in the IND vs SA lineup. A third fan cheekily noted the ongoing chatter around leadership roles, with many joking about the “Ek Odi series tera, ek odi series tera” line that surfaced during discussions.

The squad move comes amid Shubman Gill's injury woes. Gill is likely to miss the South Africa series, with a nerve issue potentially sidelining him for the year. In such a scenario, KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant could lead the team on a temporary basis, and selectors are reportedly weighing Abhishek Sharma along with a pace-heavy attack featuring Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, and Arshdeep Singh as options.

The three ODIs are scheduled across three Indian venues: the first on November 30 in Ranchi, the second on December 3 in Raipur, and the third on December 6 in Visakhapatnam. With Rahul stepping in as captain and Jadeja returning, India will look to balance a squad that also contends with the absence of vice-captain Shreyas Iyer and Gill's potential unavailability for the limited-overs format ahead of the new year.

Cover image source: IND vs SA ODI series: K.L. Rahul named captain 🔗

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