Team India is preparing to face South Africa in the first ODI in Ranchi, but concerns remain over their repeated struggles against spin bowling on home soil. In the press conference ahead of the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi, India’s stand-in ODI skipper KL Rahul admitted that India’s batting against spin has declined over the last two seasons, even though it was once considered one of their biggest strengths. His comments follow India’s heavy defeats in the Test series against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa recently, both of which were driven by top-class spin attacks. The Indian team is now trying to move forward from the 2-0 Test whitewash and shift focus to the limited-overs format. With the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the dressing room atmosphere has already become more confident. India will hope the presence of their senior players helps them regroup quickly and start the ODI series on a positive note. Rahul, however, knows the challenge ahead is tough and said the team must work hard to reclaim their batting dominance against spin. India’s immediate goal is to forget the Test setbacks and deliver a strong performance in Ranchi. Rahul also acknowledged that reviving India’s spin bowling skills will take time, and both technical and tactical improvements are necessary. With important series against Sri Lanka and Australia coming up, the ODI captain believes this phase is crucial for the team’s growth. KL Rahul admits India’s struggle against spin KL Rahul openly addressed the decline in India’s performance against spin, saying, “We haven’t played spin well enough in the last couple of seasons. I really don’t know why we did it earlier and why we aren’t doing it now. I don’t have a definitive answer.” He added that the only way forward is for players to improve individually and as a group. Also read: BCCI meeting to discuss Rohit, Kohli’s ODI future soon: Selectors and management to meet after South Africa ODIs to finalise 2027 plans – Report Rahul said the process would be slow: “It won’t change overnight. We’ll look at what improvements we need and hopefully by the time the Sri Lanka and Australia series come around, we’ll be better prepared. We’ll also reach out to seniors who played spin exceptionally well.” Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had also criticised India’s recent weakness against spin, calling the team “one of the poorest spin-playing nations in the world” right now. ‘RO-KO brings experience in the dressing room’ – KL Rahul With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returning to the ODI setup, Rahul believes their presence is a huge boost. “Their importance at any point is huge… Having their presence and experience helps out a lot of players in the dressing room,” he said. Rahul also praised Kohli’s intense practice session, saying the former captain is a master of strike rotation. Rahul said that winning the first ODI is their only focus: “Winning is the most important thing… We are trying to forget what happened a week ago and focus on the game tomorrow.” He also welcomed the return of veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, saying, “Jaddu has done the job for India time and again. His experience is huge for us.” Pant’s position uncertain, Gaikwad to wait for his chance When asked about Rishabh Pant’s chances of being in the playing XI, Rahul remained non-committal: “You will find out tomorrow who will be playing and who will be left behind… He is good enough to play as a batter as well.” Rahul kept wickets during training, suggesting Pant may not start. He also spoke about Ruturaj Gaikwad, saying the opener was missing out only because of a settled lineup: “Ruturaj Gaikwad is a phenomenal player. He has done well in whatever limited opportunities he has had. Looking forward to giving him the opportunity in this series”. Also read: MI vs RCB in WPL 2026 opener on Jan 9: Final set for Feb 5 to avoid overlap with Men’s T20 World Cup Rahul expects MS Dhoni’s presence in Ranchi Although he has not yet inspected the pitch, Rahul expects a typical high-scoring Ranchi wicket based on past ODI matches. He emphasised that ODI cricket is more about reading the game than technical ability: “ODI cricket is about mindset. Everyone is good technically. It’s about reading situations better.” Rahul also said the team would feel energised if MS Dhoni attends the match: “We all grew up watching MS. If he’s at the stadium, the players and the crowd both feel the buzz.” With fresh motivation, experienced leaders, and a need to fix key weaknesses, India will look to begin the ODI series on a winning note. Post navigation MI vs RCB in WPL 2026 opener on Jan 9:Final set for Feb 5 to avoid overlap with Men’s T20 World Cup ‘Indian batters are becoming NRIs’ – Sanjay Manjarekar:Criticised India Gautam Gambhir after Guwahati Test debacle; says, ‘Performance falling due to lack of practice’
