IND vs SA: Finisher scoring 173 in five matches suddenly dropped

Axar Patel, India vs South Africa ODI Series: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the Indian squad for the three-match ODI series between India and South Africa, starting November 30. Once again, the selectors' decisions have surprised cricket fans, as some players who performed well have been dropped without any clear reason, while others have been given another chance without a solid basis.

Axar Patel Dropped from Squad

The most shocking name is that of wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who was out of the team for a long time due to poor form and injury. His sudden return has surprised everyone. On the other hand, all-rounder Axar Patel, who has consistently performed brilliantly in every bilateral series recently, has again been kept out of the squad, which naturally raises questions.

Axar's Record in Last Five Matches

Axar, who was chosen as the first-choice left-arm spinner for the Australia tour, failed to retain his place after the return of senior pro Jadeja. Looking at Axar's last five ODI innings, he has scored 42, 27, 29, 31, and 44 runs. This means in his last five innings, batting in the lower order, he has scored 173 runs at an average of 34.6.

KL Rahul Appointed Stand-in Captain

KL Rahul, India's first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman in ODIs, has been appointed stand-in captain for this series. With regular captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer unavailable for selection due to injuries, Rahul has been made captain for the three-match series.

Ruturaj Gaikwad Also Returns

Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ruturaj Gaikwad have been included in the team that recently toured Australia. Despite Pant's inclusion in the team, Dhruv Jurel will retain his place. Gill is currently in Mumbai for a check-up on his neck injury. Gill, 26, who was recently made the ODI captain just before the Australia tour, had to cut short his participation in the opening Test against South Africa after sustaining a neck injury while batting in the first innings of the first Test in Kolkata.

With both Gill and Iyer unavailable, the selectors have chosen Tilak and Gaikwad in the 15-member squad. Additionally, experienced Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will play key roles in the batting department, which also includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, who might get another opportunity besides his solitary ODI cap.

With Hardik Pandya unavailable, Nitish Reddy will retain his place, but India will have only three frontline pacers – Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Prasidh Krishna, as Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah have not been considered after the two-match Test series. Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, and Jadeja will be the three spin options.

The series will begin on November 30 in Ranchi, after which the teams will travel to Raipur and Visakhapatnam for the second and third ODIs on December 3 and December 6, respectively. After the ODI series concludes, both teams will also play five T20Is.

Indian Squad for ODI Series Against South Africa

KL Rahul (Captain/Wicketkeeper), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel