Out-of-favour white-ball players Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad were offered a shot at reviving their ODI career, as they were picked in India’s squad, to be led by KL Rahul, for the upcoming home series against South Africa . Pant has featured in a lone 50-over game in the last three years, while Gaikwad played the last of his six ODIs in December 2023, but they return thanks to an injury list that includes Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill.

Whereas it is premature to say that they are in the selectors’ scheme for the next edition of the World Cup, which is 15 months away, or even automatic choices in the playing XI against South Africa, it affords them a rare break to stake their claims in a largely settled and powerful batting line-up. Ruturaj’s return owes to his rich vein of recent f

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