Did Ravi Shastri Snap KL Rahul During IND VS SA Toss? Former India Head Coach Asks Him To ‘Hang On’ Over His Rushed Act

Luck just wasn’t on India’s side as KL Rahul, stepping in as captain, lost the toss to South Africa in the first ODI at Ranchi’s JSCA Stadium. Rahul walked out for the toss, exchanged a quick hug with Markram, and got ready to flip the coin.

He was clearly eager, so much so that he tried to spin the coin before Ravi Shastri had even finished hyping up the contest.

KL Rahul’s Toss Blunder Sparks Laughter

Shastri, in his classic style, was introducing both captains: “The two captains, KL Rahul for India, Aiden Markram of South Africa.” Rahul almost went ahead with the toss, but Shastri stopped him with a quick, “You’ve got to hang on, KL.” 

Rahul just smiled, a little embarrassed, and waited for his cue. The coin finally went up, but luck didn’t change—South Africa won and chose to bowl first. The call was so obvious that Rahul, even before Markram spoke into the mic, signaled to his team that they’d be batting.

After the toss, Rahul said, “We would have bowled first as well. Preparation’s been good, the energy’s up, lots of guys coming back. We’re looking to enjoy ourselves out there.

KL Rahul Laughs Off Toss Mix-Up

That’s been the message make the most of every chance with the ODI team, and this is a great opportunity to test ourselves against a really strong team. We’re going with three spinners and three quicks today.” Shastri, always quick to poke fun, reminded him, “You were in a rush to spin the coin, weren’t you?”

Markram, leading South Africa, shared his thoughts too: “We’ve spent a few evenings here, and with the dew at night, batting should get a bit easier later on.

The team’s got good energy, lots of fun in the dressing room. It’s a big series, and while the 2027 World Cup’s still a way off, it’s always great to play one of the best teams around. Just the one spinner today—Subrayen. I’ll bowl a few myself. Temba and Maharaj are resting, so we’re going with four seamers.”

Here’s how the teams line up:

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna

South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock (wk), Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Prenelan Subrayen, Nandre Burger, Ottneil Baartman

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