Ranchi, November 30, 2025 - India and South Africa clash in the first of a three-match ODI series today at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. The series marks the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to international cricket after a brief break. India will be looking to avenge their recent Test series defeat against the Proteas.
KL Rahul will captain the side in the absence of Shubman Gill, who is still recovering from a neck injury, and Shreyas Iyer. The selectors have also rested Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj for the series. Temba Bavuma will lead the South African side, which is missing Kagiso Rabada due to a rib injury.
India, currently ranked number 1 in the ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings, will aim to leverage their home advantage in the 50-over format, where they traditionally excel. However, after the recent Test series whitewash, the pressure is on the team to perform well. South Africa, arrives confident after their Test series victory and will be eager to extend their dominance in the ODI series.
With Shubman Gill unavailable, Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma. Virat Kohli will likely take his usual No. 3 spot. The middle-order composition remains a point of discussion. KL Rahul has confirmed he will bat at No. 6. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rishabh Pant are both contenders for the No. 4 and No. 5 positions. Including both Gaikwad and Pant in the lineup might require sacrificing a bowling option. Tilak Varma is also in contention for a middle-order slot.
The predicted India XI could be: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad/Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul (c & wk), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna.
South Africa's batting lineup includes Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, and Dewald Brevis. Lungi Ngidi and Nandre Burger will lead the pace attack in the absence of Rabada.
The pitch in Ranchi is expected to offer assistance to both pacers and spinners. In the six ODIs played at the venue, pacers have taken 39 wickets, while spinners have accounted for 35. India has won three of the six matches played in Ranchi.
The ODI series will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network in India and will be available for streaming on Jio Hotstar. All matches are scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM IST. The series will move to Raipur and Visakhapatnam for the second and third ODIs on December 3 and December 6, respectively.
Both teams will be looking to gain an early advantage in this crucial ODI series, which follows South Africa's historic Test series victory in India.
