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ODI Squad Announced: Gaikwad, Jaiswal in Race to Replace Injured Shubman Gill
India vs South Africa: The ODI series between India and South Africa is set to begin on November 30th. The biggest challenge for the team management in this series will be finding Rohit Sharma's opening partner. Let's explore the contenders.
Team India has been announced for the three-match ODI series between India and South Africa, starting on November 30th. Shubhman Gill has not been selected due to injury. Consequently, finding Rohit Sharma's opening partner will be the biggest question that head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain KL Rahul face. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad are considered the two top contenders. The third option is Rahul himself, but he has batted largely at number 5 or 6 for most of his career in the 50-over format. So, who would be a better choice between Yashasvi and Ruturaj?
Meanwhile, it is important to note that Yashasvi Jaiswal has represented India in only one ODI so far. That was against England in Nagpur in 2024, where he scored just 15 runs. Since then, he has either been overlooked from the ODI team or has been benched after being included as a backup opener.
Regarding Ruturaj Gaikwad, he has played six ODIs so far, opening four of them. In the 50-over format for India, he has scored 115 runs at an average of 19.2, 98 of which have come while batting in the top order. His best score in this format is 71.
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Gaikwad also has good figures in List A cricket. The CSK captain has scored 4534 runs in 89 List A matches at an average of 57.39, while the left-hander has scored 1526 runs in 33 matches at an average of 52.62. Gaikwad has been in the best form of his career recently. In the India A vs South Africa A ODI series, he scored 117, 68*, and 25 in three matches, all of which came while batting at the top of the order.
Gaikwad's more experienced form and form warrants a place in the top order for the India vs South Africa ODIs. Furthermore, this role may not last long, especially since Rutu could be suddenly dropped from the team if Gill returns.
As for Jaiswal, he could be considered a long-term opening option. He could certainly be a frontrunner to open alongside Gill after Rohit Sharma's retirement. This will not only ensure that India will move forward with a right-left combination in mind, but will also provide a decision on the left-hander, who is considered an all-format player.
Indian ODI squad: KL Rahul (captain), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Dhruv Jurel.
