Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel has picked the hosts' playing XI for the opening ODI against South Africa, with the glaring omission of Rishabh Pant. Instead, Patel opted for Tilak Varma to bat at No. 4 in the series-opener at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Sunday, November 30.Pant has returned to the ODI setup after a long time, having last played in the format in July 2024. Although the left-hander has been prolific in Test cricket, he hasn't been able to nail down a place in the limited-over setup. In 31 ODIs since his debut in 2018, Pant averages a modest 33.50, with a solitary ton that came against England in Manchester in 2022. Pant is also unlikely to keep wickets, given that KL Rahul, who is the stand-in captain for the series, has been performing the role for the last two and a half years.Meanwhile, Tilak, who has solidified his spot in T20Is, has featured in four ODIs after his maiden appearance in the format in 2023. His solitary half-century came against South Africa in Paarl two years ago, as the Men in Blue clinched the three-game ODI series. The 22-year-old has strong List A numbers, mustering 1724 runs in 44 games at 45.36 with five tons.Speaking to Star Sports, Parthiv picked Tilak to bat at No. 4 and went with three spinners and three fast bowlers. The 40-year-old reckoned the hosts could go either for Washington Sundar or Nitish Kumar Reddy, depending upon the conditions.Parthiv Patel's Team India XI for first ODI: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar/Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh.Rishabh Pant had a forgettable Test series against South AfricaRishabh Pant struggled in the Test series against South Africa. (Credits: Getty)The rationale behind omitting the youngster could also be about being low in confidence due to his forgettable time in the recent Test series against South Africa. The southpaw had scores of 27, 2, 7, and 13.With the 28-year-old leading India in the second Test in Guwahati, his captaincy decisions also came under the scanner as India suffered their heaviest defeat in terms of runs (408). The hosts will be looking for redemption in the ODI series.