After tasting a 2-0 defeat in Tests, India will take on South Africa, once again at home, in a three-match One Day International (ODI) series.
The first fixture is on the horizon, with veterans gearing up to step back in action for the Men in Blue. There will also be a new leader at the helm, stepping in for the injured Shubman Gill.
For those interested, here’s everything to know about the first India vs South Africa ODI like match date, time, venue, general pitch report as well as India’s possible playing XI.
IND vs SA 1st ODI: Match Date and Time
The first India vs South Africa ODI match will be played on this Sunday, that is November 30, 2025.
The fixture is scheduled to kick off at 1:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST), and hence, the coin toss can be expected to be conducted half an hour earlier, that is likely around 1:00 PM IST.
India vs South Africa 1st ODI: Match Venue and Pitch Report
The IND vs SA 1st ODI will be played in Ranchi at the JSCA International Stadium Complex.
The pitch here generally favors spinners, offering grip and turn. Having said that, the venue has seen high scores being made, such as Australia scoring 313 and 295.
Coincidentally, the last ODI played in Ranchi was also an India vs South Africa match, dating back to October 2022.
The visitors scored 278 runs in that fixture, a moderate score in the 50-over format nowadays, which the home side chased inside 46 overs with 7 wickets to spare.
India Probable Playing XI vs South Africa
The Indian squad is missing some big names for this series, such as Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Nevertheless, there is no lack of talent in the ranks.
Here’s what the playing XI might look like on Sunday against South Africa:
Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Tilak Varma, Harshit Rana, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh
The actual squad should be revealed after the toss on matchday.
