India vs South Africa ODI series begins on November 30 but team selection looks messy right now. Two important players got injured leaving selectors scratching their heads over replacements. The player list might change completely based on who recovers in time for this series.
Injury Problems Hit India vs South Africa Squad
Shubman Gill hurt his neck badly and might miss the India vs South Africa ODI matches completely. The captain can’t even travel properly because doctors told him to avoid flying anywhere. This leaves a huge gap in the squad at the top order position.
Shreyas Iyer won’t play either after suffering a blunt abdominal injury against Australia recently. Two leaders missing together creates massive headaches for chief selector Ajit Agarkar. Building a strong squad without these two options becomes really difficult now.
The selectors must finalize the player list quickly before the series starts next week. Nobody expected both batters to get injured at the same time like this unfortunately.
Who Replaces Gill and Iyer in the Squad
Ruturaj Gaikwad could replace Gill, but management might prefer Yashasvi Jaiswal opening instead. Jaiswal smashes bowlers from ball one which suits cricket perfectly these days. The young left-hander earned his spot through consistent performances in other formats already.
Tilak Varma takes Iyer’s middle-order spot based on his recent match-winning innings against opponents. This Mumbai Indians star handles pressure situations much better than most other young batters. His list of big scores proves he belongs at the international level without any doubt.
The rest of the IND vs SA squad stays the same, as the Australia series probably.
India’s Likely ODI Squad for the South Africa Series:
Ruturaj Gaikwad/Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal
Who Captains India If Gill Misses ODI Series
KL Rahul becomes the captain if Shubman Gill can’t recover before the first match. Rahul captained India before, so he knows how to handle leadership responsibilities calmly. The senior player brings experience that younger guys in the squad really need.
India vs South Africa series matters because the team needs to bounce back after Test struggles. The ODI squad shows management wants aggressive batters who score quickly throughout innings. Fans hope injuries don’t ruin India’s chances of winning this home series badly.
