Axar Patel during a practice session ahead of the second Test cricket match between India and South Africa, at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday announced India’s squad for the three-match ODI series against South Africa. KL Rahul, India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in ODIs, has been named the stand-in captain for the series.Axar Patel has not been included in the squad. Ravindra Jadeja returns to the ODI setup after missing the series against Australia. Varun Chakravarthy, who was India’s key bowler in the Champions Trophy, has also been left out. Tilak Varma has been added to the middle order as the team looks to include more left-handed batters.

Fans furious over Axar Patel’s omission

Axar Patel’s exclusion drew strong reactions from fans on social media. Many questioned the reason behind his absence so soon after the Australia series.“Axar Patel getting dropped from ODI setup is so shocking,” one user said in a post on X.Another fan wrote, “What has Axar Patel done wrong to not be in the IND vs SA ODI squad?” asked a user named Chase Masters.

A third user took a sarcastic dig, saying, “Axar got dropped from ODIs bcoz He didn’t win India in Kolkata Test.”Another comment on X read, “Selection panel with Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja – Ek Odi series tera, ek odi series tera.”

Referring to media reports that had mentioned Axar as a captaincy contender in Shubman Gill’s absence, one user wrote, “Yesterday: Axar Patel in the contender list to lead India in ODIs vs South Africa. Today: Axar Patel replaced by Ravindra Jadeja for ODI team.”It is not clear whether Axar Patel has been rested or dropped from the ODI series. The first ODI of the three-match series will be played on November 30 in Ranchi, the second ODI in Raipur on December 3rd, and third ODI in Visakhapatnam on December 6th. India’s ODI squad: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (C) (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel