India will be without regular captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer for the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, which begins on Sunday. The team is eager to put the recent 0-2 Test series drubbing behind them. In their absence, KL Rahul will lead the side and will rely on the vast experience of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja to guide the squad toward a strong comeback.
Although the 50-over format is no longer India’s top priority, with the next ODI World Cup still two years away, interest in bilateral ODIs has surged again – largely because Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continue to feature. Uncertainty over the duo’s long-term future in the format has only added to the buzz, and their involvement has revived a format that had started to lose its appeal.
Both looked noticeably sharper in the nets in Ranchi than they did during the Australia tour, and their unbeaten century partnership in the Sydney win appears to have restored their confidence. Rohit finished that series as Player of the Series, while Kohli rediscovered his vintage touch after scoring consecutive ducks. Whether they can carry that form forward remains to be seen, but the intensity in training has been impressive; younger players such as Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Harshit Rana watched in awe as the senior pair went through their routines.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has largely been on the sidelines in ODIs because of the established Rohit–Gill opening combination, finally gets a proper run. Having played just one ODI so far (a 15 against England in Nagpur earlier this year), the left-hander will be determined to make a stronger statement. During training sessions, Rohit was seen spending considerable time mentoring Jaiswal, offering advice on approach and shot selection.
With Shreyas unavailable, the crucial No. 4 position is expected to go to Ruturaj Gaikwad. The Chennai Super Kings skipper shared nets with Kohli two days before the game and held lengthy discussions with batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and captain Rahul. He even turned up for the optional session on the eve of the match, though he didn’t face a ball and instead spent an hour with analyst Hari.
All signs point to Gaikwad slotting in at four. That would likely push Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Kumar Reddy to positions five through eight, leaving Tilak Varma and Rishabh Pant on the bench. An alternative line-up that accommodates either Tilak or Pant at five and pushes Jadeja lower would leave India with only five specialist bowling options—something the team management is unlikely to risk.
This series also carries extra significance for Jadeja, who sat out the recent Australia ODIs and now has an opportunity to cement his place with both bat and ball, especially with Axar Patel being rested. Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana are set to round off the bowling attack for the Ranchi opener.
Despite losing the ODI series in Australia, Indian fans cherished the memorable Australian farewell for Rohit and Kohli in Sydney. Gambhir and his support staff, however, will be desperate to avoid another bilateral series defeat, with critics waiting to pounce.
Venue stats – JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi
- Six ODIs played so far
- Pacers: 39 wickets @ 35.48
- Spinners: 35 wickets @ 40.65
- India have won 3 out of 6 matches here
- Teams batting first have won only 2 out of 5 completed games
- 300+ totals posted only once
Clear weather is forecast for the day–night fixture, though dew could play a role, as Rahul noted during the pre-series press conference.
For South Africa, Quinton de Kock has come out of ODI retirement and featured against Pakistan recently; he is expected to open alongside Ryan Rickelton, with skipper Temba Bavuma likely returning to the middle order and Aiden Markram shifting to No. 3. In-form Matthew Breetzke may bat at five, while Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, and Corbin Bosch provide the Proteas with considerable lower-order firepower.
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