Raipur, December 3, 2025 - South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl first in the second ODI against India at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. This marks the 20th consecutive time that India has lost the toss in an ODI match. India, leading the three-match series 1-0, will be looking to seal the series win, while South Africa aims to level the score.
India won the first ODI in Ranchi by 17 runs in a high-scoring contest. Virat Kohli's magnificent century (135), his 52nd in ODIs, set the foundation for India's imposing total of 349. Rohit Sharma (57) and KL Rahul also contributed with important half-centuries.
Despite India's strong batting performance, South Africa's lower order fought valiantly to keep the chase alive. Marco Jansen's quickfire fifty (26 balls) and Corbin Bosch's late surge brought the Proteas close to the target. However, Bosch's dismissal in the final over led to South Africa being bowled out for 332.
In the first ODI, South Africa's top order struggled initially, but Jansen and Matthew Breetzke formed a threatening partnership. For the second ODI, South Africa is expected to strengthen their playing XI with the return of regular captain Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj, who were rested for the first game.
The match in Raipur is being played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, a venue that has not been heavily tested in international cricket. India has played only one ODI at this ground, back in January 2023, where they defeated New Zealand by 8 wickets. In that match, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj exploited sharp seam movement to dismiss New Zealand for a mere 108 runs.
The toss took place at 1:00 PM IST, and the match commenced at 1:30 PM IST.
All eyes will be on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as India look to capitalize on their form and secure the series victory. However, off-field discussions about potential tensions within the dressing room and reported disagreements with head coach Gautam Gambhir have been circulating. Despite the external noise, both Kohli and Sharma delivered impressive performances in the first ODI.
