In Shreyas Iyer’s absence, Rishabh Pant or Tilak Varma are expected to bat at No. 4 for India in the first of three ODIs against South Africa, which begins on Sunday, November 30 in Ranchi. Pant was a member of India’s Champions Trophy 2025 roster but did not play a single match, but Varma was selected for the ODI team based on his Asia Cup performance.
Looking at India’s likely XI for the first ODI against South Africa, we can see that Rohit Sharma will open the innings with either Yashasvi Jaiswal or Ruturaj Gaikwad. Virat Kohli is expected to bat third, with skipper KL Rahul most likely to bat fifth. He will be followed by all-arounders and bowlers. As a result, only Pant or Varma can currently be included in the playing XI.
Varma has four ODIs, while Pant has 31. But the latter has been in top-notch form of late in T20Is. In fact, the 23-year-old was man of the match in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan in Dubai in 2025. Thus, the team management will have a tough decision to take over who bats at No 4 in the first one-dayer against South Africa.
Rishabh Pant should get the nod ahead of Tilak Varma if he is playing as keeper-batter
If we are to take it for granted that KL Rahul will also captain the Indian team, then Pant must bat at No. 4. It would be a perfectly defensible tactical move. Yes, the southpaw has wasted his chances in ODI cricket. But Rahul is not a regular wicket-keeper, and to ask him keep wickets on team selection along with captaincy would be a pipe dream.
After all, having been made captain for the three-game ODI series, his most important duty on the ground should be strategy and deploying fielders at right place. Rahul’s captaincy and goalkeeping (he is a part-timer) are still raw. Therefore it would be best for the team that he concentrated on captaining and batting. You watch his leadership getting questioned, so this is a great opportunity for him.
When it comes to Pant, he should be very grateful that he is still part of ODI squad despite his abysmal track record in this format. Under normal circumstances, the first-choice keeper would have been Sanju Samson and not Pant. He should be selected because he averages 56 in ODIs. But, now that Pant has been given a chance, he needs to grab it with both hands.
Tilak Varma could come in if Pant fails in the first two ODIs
If Pant is selected for the first couple of one-dayers against South Africa but fails to make an impact with the willow, the Indian team can then consider replacing him with Varma for the last match of the ODI series. Of course, in such a scenario, things would not be ideal because skipper Rahul would be obliged to shoulder the added responsibility of wicketkeeping, as previously mentioned.
Meanwhile, it is only fair that Varma gets a chance to demonstrate himself in the third ODI against the Proteas, if and when Pant fails with his chances. He’s been in the T20I set-up for a number of seasons and has shown some excellent form. If the Indian team management sees him in its long-term World Cup scheme, he must for sure be tried.
So in short, Rishabh Pant should be the preferred No.4 for their first ODI of the series against South Africa but Varma if and only if Pant fails again.
