It was 2022 in a brief tumultuous period of India Cricket when KL Rahul had to take charge of the ODI team in South Africa. With Virat Kohli removed from ODI captaincy after he stepped down from T20I leadership role, KL Rahul led the team in the three-match series. But India ended up with a 0-3 whitewash against the Proteas. Now, captain KL Rahul has his revenge with an ODI series win against South Africa in their own backyard. With a 78–run win in IND vs SA 3rd ODI, India clinched the series 2-1.
With Rohit Sharma once again missing an ODI series in South Africa, KL Rahul was back to lead the side this time. But by now, the nervousness of the leadership role was gone. He has matured as a captain and with a young team with him, KL Rahul led India to a 2-1 series win.
With that, KL Rahul has become only the second Indian captain to win an ODI series in South Africa. Virat Kohli in 2018 was the first one as he ended a 26-year wait to win an ODI series in the rainbow nation.
IND vs SA ODI in South Africa:
- 5-2: South Africa win in 1992
- 5-1: South Africa win in 1997
- 4-3: South Africa win in 2001
- 4-0: South Africa win in 2006
- 3-2: South Africa win in 2011
- 2-0: South Africa win in 2013
- 5-1: India win in 2018
- 3-0: South Africa win in 2022
KL Rahul: Future ODI captain?
With Rohit Sharma unlikely to continue playing ODIs till ICC Champions Trophy 2025, India Cricket Team will have to search for a new captain sooner or later. While Hardik Pandya did play the role of a temporary captain, it’s unlikely that his focus will be on ODIs in 2025.
And that’s where KL Rahul comes in. Unlike Tests and T20Is, KL Rahul has been not only excellent in the 50-over format, he has been consistent. He was the vice-captain in the ODI World Cup after Hardik Pandya was ruled out.
Hence, the triumph in IND vs SA ODI series win will only solidify his position. The next ODI series will be against Sri Lanka in July 2024. With Hardik Pandya certain to play in the T20 World Cup 2024, KL Rahul is the likely leader. And he will have a chance to seal the captaincy deal should Rohit Sharma quit ODI cricket.
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