IND vs SA 1st ODI: Virat Kohli is the leading run-getter in ODIs in Ranchi. (PTI)
After losing the Test series emphatically to Temba Bavuma’s men, a depleted India side will aim to make amends while banking on their veteran one-format superstars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the 50-over leg of the series against South Africa, starting Saturday in Ranchi.
India will be without their regular ODI captain, Shubman Gill, and his deputy, Shreyas Iyer, in the series, with KL Rahul taking over the reins in the series. It could therefore pave the way for star southpaw Yashasvi Jaiswal’s ODI debut, over two years on since his maiden India cap. There will also be a toss-up between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tilak Varma, although the former has produced higher and quicker scores in the recent A series against the visiting Proteas.
IND predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (c/wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Arshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna
Key player to watch out for: Virat Kohli
Kohli has been the standout performer at the venue in his career and has struck centuries in two of the four innings he has played here in the past. While he found some runs under his belt in the last ODI in Australia after successive ducks, Kohli could find it a touch difficult to settle in against a menacing South African pace unit. But expect the former India captain to just get back into the thick of things with India wearing a slightly depleted look.
SA predicted XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Temba Bavuma (C), Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Prenalen Subrayen.
Key player to watch out for: Quinton de Kock
de Kock relished a successful comeback to ODI cricket after reversing his retirement during the Pakistan tour. The wicket-keeper has troubled India in the past and is in the thick of things with three successive fifty-plus scores, including a hundred in Faisalabad earlier this month.
India ODI Squad: KL Rahul (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh.
The India vs South Africa first ODI will be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website and telecast on the Star Sports network.
| Date | Match | Venue | Start Time (IST) |
| Sun, Nov 30, 2025 | 1st ODI | Ranchi, JSCA International Stadium Complex | 1:30 PM IST |
| Wed, Dec 3, 2025 | 2nd ODI | Raipur, Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium | 1:30 PM IST |
| Sat, Dec 6, 2025 | 3rd ODI | Visakhapatnam, ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium | 1:30 PM IST |
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