In the ongoing Guwahati Test against South Africa, Rishabh Pant became only the second wicket-keeper to lead India in the format after MS Dhoni. With Shubman Gill ruled out due to a neck spasm, vice-captain Pant's elevation to captaincy was on expected lines. In fact, Pant also filled in as stand-in captain for a large part of the Kolkata Test.
The latest buzz is that Pant's stint as captain could continue into the ODI leg of this series. While Gill's condition is stable, the think tank are in no hurry to rush their captain back into action. There is also a larger picture at hand here, Gill is expected to be a regular member of India's T20I squad and with the World Cup not that far away, the management doesn't want to take any chances.
Given that Gill is also vice-captain of the T20I setup, the Punjab batter will want to take his time and that could mean him missing out on the ODIs that start shortly after the second Test. The series kicks-off from November 30 in Ranchi, followed by ODIs in Raipur (December 3) and Vizag (December 6).
In Gill's absence, it would generally be his deputy to lead but vice-captain Shreyas Iyer is also undergoing rehab from his abdomen injury sustained in the Australia ODIs. The Mumbai batter still needs another two months of recovery, followed by a month of workload management to get into action. Therefore, Iyer is certain to miss the ODIs against South Africa and New Zealand.
Coincidentally, the three-match series will also be Pant's first ODI in more than a year. The southpaw last played a 50-over game back in August 2024. With KL Rahul being the designated wicket-keeper batter and Iyer going great guns, there was no space for Pant in the stacked middle order.
While his stats in T20Is have been underwhelming, Pant boasts of solid numbers in ODIs and has never been far away from making it to the starting XI. If the captaincy rumours are true, the South Africa ODIs will be a critical series for Pant as India build towards the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.
