Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel has unveiled his preferred Team India playing XI for the upcoming first One Day International (ODI) against South Africa at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on November 30.
Parthiv Patel names India’s playing XI for 1st ODI vs South Africa; Excludes key player
Former Indian stumper Parthiv has chosen a balanced side for the first ODI, featuring a mix of established veterans and promising young talent, with a tactical lean towards spin. The XI begins with the trusted opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal, followed by the stalwart Virat Kohli at No. 3, setting up a solid top order. The key selection surprise comes at the No. 4 position, where Parthiv has opted for the 22-year-old Tilak Varma. Tilak, who has established himself in the T20I format, boasts impressive List A statistics with 1724 runs in 44 games.
His List A average stands at a strong 45.36, which includes five centuries, suggesting consistency in the longer white-ball format. The young southpaw also has prior success against the Proteas, having scored his solitary ODI half-century against them in Paarl two years ago. This selection directly leads to the omission of Rishabh Pant, who is returning to the ODI set-up after a long layoff since July 2024. Patel’s choice is likely influenced by the fact that stand-in captain KL Rahul is already designated to keep wickets, a role he has held for the last two and a half years.
The middle order is strengthened by Rahul (c) and the all-round capability of Ravindra Jadeja at No. 6. In a move favouring spin, Patel picked three slow-bowling options: Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and either Washington Sundar or Nitish Kumar Reddy, depending on the conditions. The pace unit is composed of a trio of young fast bowlers: Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh.
IND vs SA: Rationale behind exclusion of superstar player
The decision to exclude a player of Pant’s calibre, particularly when he is available, suggests a concern over his recent form and confidence level. Patel’s rationale is likely rooted in Pant’s less-than-prolific record in the ODI format, where he averages a modest 33.50 across his 31 appearances. Despite his Test success, Pant has only managed a single ODI century, which came against England in Manchester back in 2022. Moreover, the wicketkeeper-batter recently endured a “forgettable time” during the preceding Test series against South Africa.
His performance with the bat in the four Test innings was significantly below expectations, registering scores of 27, 2, 7, and 13. The poor batting form was compounded by the fact that he was the stand-in captain for the second Test in Guwahati. In that match, his captaincy decisions also came under intense scrutiny after India suffered their record-breaking heaviest defeat in terms of runs (408).
This combination of modest ODI statistics and recent low confidence from the Test series likely convinced Patel to back the in-form Tilak instead. The hosts, looking for quick redemption in the ODI series after the Test defeat, may prefer a line-up featuring players operating at their peak form. The management is likely seeking to protect the 28-year-old Pant and allow him more time to regain his optimal form and confidence outside the immediate pressure of the playing XI.
