Rahul to continue as ODI finisher despite Gill and Iyer's absence

India's stand-in ODI captain KL Rahul has confirmed that he will continue to be one of India's designated finishers in the series against South Africa despite the absence of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer. Rahul, who has been batting at No.5 for a while in ODIs, moved down to No.6 earlier this year in the Champions Trophy and will continue in that role.

"I have not finalised the exact XI yet," Rahul said in the pre-match press conference. "I have been playing at number six since the Champions Trophy, so I will be batting there. We have all-rounders like Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Reddy available. We will see what the best XI is and make that decision."

On India's struggles against spin in Test cricket, Rahul admitted the team is working on solutions. "I cannot give you a definitive answer," he said. "We have not been able to play well in the last two series. We are trying to find ways to play spin better. It won't happen overnight. We are individually trying to seek answers and improve."

Regarding his captaincy role, Rahul said: "Just a day before the announcement, I was told I might have to lead. I have captained before and I look forward to enjoying that responsibility. I have Rohit, Virat, Jaddu and other senior players around who will help. It's always a collective effort."

Rahul confirmed that Rishabh Pant will keep wicket if selected and praised the return of Ravindra Jadeja and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

"Jadeja has been part of the Indian team for so many years and has done the job time and again," Rahul said. "Having his experience is great for me as captain. Rutu is a top class player who has utilized limited opportunities well. Unfortunately, in ODIs the top order is settled, so it's tough for others to break in. Now with injuries, he'll get his chance to show what he can do."