KEY POINTS
- India enter the ODI series with major injury setbacks, missing Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer.
- KL Rahul leads India amid long-term questions over Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s future ahead of 2027.
- South Africa arrive confident after a 2-0 Test win, strengthened by Markram and Bavuma’s return.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal gets a crucial three-match chance to secure his ODI place in Gill’s absence.
ISLAMABAD: India will take on South Africa in a three-match ODI series, with games scheduled in Ranchi on November 30, Raipur on December 3, and Visakhapatnam from December 6.
India’s mounting injury setbacks have added a new layer of uncertainty ahead of their upcoming ODI series, as the team prepares to take the field under a third different captain in three consecutive international matches.
Shubman Gill’s neck injury, sustained during the Kolkata Test after an intense run of cricket, has forced him out of action, while ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer remains sidelined with a rib injury picked up while taking a catch in Australia.
Despite the disruptions, ODIs remain India’s most comfortable terrain. This generation has dominated the format, clinching the Asia Cup, winning the Champions Trophy, and reaching the World Cup final.
But with the next World Cup scheduled for South Africa, the team is already confronting long-term questions: Can Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remain competitive into late 2027?
Who fills the seam-bowling allrounder void? How can key players’ workloads be managed in a format that is increasingly rare on the calendar?
Adding intrigue to the contest, South Africa arrive buoyed by their 2-0 Test triumph over India, an emphatic statement on Indian soil.
In an era when full tours have become uncommon, this all-format series provides both teams an opportunity: South Africa to extend dominance, and India to claw their way back in the shorter formats.
The visitors, close to full strength, will miss injured pacer Kagiso Rabada, but the return of Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma bolsters their batting unit. Keshav Maharaj’s inclusion also restores the spin control they lacked in Pakistan earlier this year.
While overshadowed by the growing focus on T20Is, the three ODIs promise high-quality cricket, fleeting, perhaps, but compelling.
Form Guide: India enter the series with a mixed run of results, having won three of their last five completed ODIs, reflected in their sequence of WLLWW. South Africa, meanwhile, have struggled for consistency, managing just two wins in their last five outings, as their form line of LWLLW shows.
Spotlight on Leadership: Rahul and Breetzke
KL Rahul steps in as captain, with selectors opting not to return to Rohit Sharma for leadership duties despite his century against Australia. With both Rohit and Kohli under constant scrutiny given their ages ahead of the 2027 World Cup, India’s leadership choices carry extra significance.
South Africa’s Matthew Breetzke enters the series with a remarkable record—fifties in each of his first five ODIs and an average of 67.75 in a challenging middle-order role.
Who are certain to play?
Rohit Sharma at the top, Virat Kohli at No. 3, and stand-in skipper KL Rahul, whether at four, five or six, are all guaranteed picks. India’s fondness for all-rounders, especially under the Gautam Gambhir regime, means Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja are also certain inclusions.
With Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami unavailable, India have a perfect window to trial their next tier of fast bowlers—crucial with the 2027 World Cup in South Africa in mind. Among them, Arshdeep Singh appears the strongest contender to start.
Even though Rohit continues to excel as an opener, there has been quiet debate around whether selectors should begin looking beyond him with the next World Cup two years away.
That conversation is partly driven by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s limited ODI exposure, just one match so far. Jaiswal has already proven his pedigree in Tests, shines in T20Is and the IPL, and boasts an impressive List A average of 52.62 with a strike rate of 86. His ODI success feels inevitable, if he gets the opportunity.
Shubman Gill’s injury now hands Jaiswal a three-match window to press his case in this series, even if competition for the opening slot will intensify once both Rohit and Gill return to full fitness.
Aiden Markram is expected to return to the top, partnering Quinton de Kock, while Bavuma resumes his position at No. 3.
The middle order features Breetzke and Dewald Brevis, supported by allrounder Marco Jansen. Maharaj leads the spin attack.
India (probable): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad / Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul (capt, wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna
South Africa (probable): Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (capt), Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Rubin Hermann, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi
Pitch and Conditions at Ranchi
Ranchi has hosted only five ODIs so far, with mixed results for chasing teams. Slow surfaces generally favour spinners, and dew could heavily influence strategy.
Without dew, batting first may be advantageous. Washington Sundar has previously opened the bowling here, a hint of conditions India might seek to exploit.
