India will face South Africa in the opening ODI of the three-match series on Sunday in Ranchi. The home side enters the contest after a disappointing 0-2 Test series defeat to the Proteas.
With Shubman Gill sidelined due to a severe neck injury sustained during the first Test, KL Rahul will take over the captaincy. The major highlight of the series, however, is the comeback of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who are currently featuring only in the ODI format.
The star pair last appeared in an ODI series against Australia back in October.
Star pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj will not feature in the ODI series against South Africa, as both have been given rest. Injuries have also sidelined regular captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer. As a result, India have included several young faces for this series.
Weather conditions look favourable for the opening ODI. Rain is not expected to hinder play in Ranchi, with conditions predicted to remain pleasant throughout the match. The temperature on Sunday is likely to peak around 24°C, with a minimum of about 12°C, and no rainfall is forecast.
The first ODI will take place at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi, a venue known to support spinners, although fast bowlers often find some early movement as well. A high-scoring encounter appears unlikely. India have played six matches at this stadium, winning three, losing one, while one ended without a result.
South Africa Probable Playing XI: Tony de Giorgi, Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Prenelan Subrayen, Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger.
India Probable Playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul (c & wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh.
