India take on South Africa in a three-match ODI series
IND will be bolstered by the return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
Proteas will take motivation from their recent Test series win
The India vs South Africa ODI series, starting Sunday, is loaded with intrigue as the spotlight falls on returning legends and changes in personnel and leadership.
The hosts endured a chastening Test series defeat, with South Africa winning in Kolkata and Guwahati under starkly different conditions. The 2-0 sweep delivered the Proteas their first Test series win in India in 25 years. Now, a bruised Indian team will look to hit back.
South Africa's tour of India 2025 began with the visitors winning the first Test by 30 runs at Eden Gardens, marked by India's inability to counter spin on a testing top. India, asked to chase a 124-run target, were dismissed for 93, and the ICC World Test Championship holders wrap up the match inside three days.
The two teams then head to the north east for Guwahati's debut Test, and India's fortunes unravelled soon enough. From Day 1, Temba Bavuma & Co. dominated Rishabh Pant's team in all aspects of the game. Set a target again, this time a mammoth 549 runs, India could manage only 140, suffering their biggest defeat by runs.
With fresh battle lines drawn, the caravan moved to Ranchi for the first ODI. And the white-ball narrative has already been set rolling with legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni hosting members of the Indian team at his residence, even personally driving Virat Kohli home after their dinner.
With that, here's a look at five key talking points ahead of the ODI series
1. Return Of Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli
The biggest headline, of course, is the comeback of two former Indian captains and legends of the game. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli rejoin the ODI setup after a break, strengthening India's top order.
Their presence adds experience and stability, especially after India's struggles in the recent Test series. Together, they bring 47,575 worth of international runs and a combined 84 centuries alone in ODIs.
2. India's Team Balance
However, questions remain about India's batting consistency. With Gill absent, the team must find the right mix of middle-order stability and aggression.
Also, without established all-rounders like Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel, it will be crucial for India to balance their batting depth with bowling options. Adding to the concerns, Arshdeep Singh has been entrusted with leading a pace bowling line-up missing the experience of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
India retained eight players from the Test squad: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel.
3. KL Rahul As India Captain
With regular ODI captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer sidelined due to injuries, KL Rahul will take charge. His leadership skills and temperament will be tested against a confident South African side.
Rahul, 33, has 3,092 runs in 88 ODI matches at an average of 48.31 with seven centuries, including an unbeaten 100 in his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in 2016. He was part of the Indian ODI team that toured Australia earlier this year, where he scored 38 and 11 in two innings.
India's Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Verma, KL Rahul (c & wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, and Arshdeep Singh.
4. Proteas' Momentum From Test Series Win
South Africa enter the ODIs riding high after their historic 2-0 Test series whitewash of India. Players like Marco Jansen, Tony de Zorzi, and Aiden Markram impressed in red-ball leg, and their performance in the ODIs will be closely watched.
Also, with Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock back in the midst, the visitors are near full strength. That said, the absence of Kagiso Rabada would be felt against a team known for its white ball supremacy.
South Africa's Predicted XI: Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Tony De Zorzi, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger, and Keshav Maharaj.
5. Why The ODI Series Still Matters
The India vs South Africa ODI series is less about direct ICC T20 World Cup 2026 preparations, but more about testing squad depth, player form, and momentum.
It can also be argued that the true significance of this series lies in managing player workloads, reintegrating returning players, and offering selectors clarity ahead of the five-match T20I contest that follows immediately.
India vs South Africa ODI Series: Schedule
1st ODI: November 30 in Ranchi
2nd ODI: December 3 in Raipur
3rd ODI: December 6 in Visakhapatnam
All three India vs South Africa ODI cricket matches will start at 1:30 PM IST.
India vs South Africa ODI Series: Live Streaming
The three-match India vs South Africa series will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network. And the live streaming will be available on Jio Hotstar.
India vs South Africa ODI Series: Squads
India's ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (c), Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Dhruv Jurel.
South Africa ODI Squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Rubin Hermann, Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton, and Prenelan Subrayen.
