KL Rahul likely to lead India in South Africa ODIs

Dubai: Batsman KL Rahul is expected to lead India in the upcoming three-match One Day International (ODI) series against South Africa, as Shubman Gill remains unavailable with a neck injury, according to Indian media reports citing a BCCI source.

Gill picked up the injury during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata, where he retired hurt after facing only three deliveries in the first innings. He was taken to hospital after the end of Day 2 and has since been advised further medical assessment in Mumbai. The 26-year-old has not recovered in time for the second Test and is now set for additional evaluation, ruling him out of the ODI series that begins later this month.

India’s selection headache has deepened with vice-captain Shreyas Iyer also sidelined. Iyer sustained an injury during the third ODI against Australia in October and has not returned to action since. With both Gill and Iyer unavailable, Rahul has emerged as the frontrunner to take charge of the ODI squad.

The series against South Africa begins on November 30 in Ranchi, with the second match scheduled for December 3 in Raipur and the final ODI set for December 6 in Visakhapatnam.  India are expected to announce the squad for the series soon.