India will aim to bounce back from their humiliating test series with the focus now shifting to the ODI series. Captain KL Rahul won the toss and opted to field first in the IND vs SA 1st ODI in Ranchi. Rahul is leading the side with Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer both ruled out with injury. Aiden Markram is leading South Africa, with Temba Bavuma rested for the game.
India opted to bat Ruturaj Gaikwad at No.4, with Shreyas ruled out. Yashasvi Jaiswal comes into open with Rohit Sharma. Rishabh Pant however has to wait for another opportunity to return to the ODI set up.
KL Rahul, who is leading India in this series due to regular skipper Shubman Gill's neck injury, said, "We would have bowled first as well. The preparation has been good, and the energy is there with a lot of players coming back. We want to enjoy ourselves in the middle. That's what the chat has been -- we need to use every opportunity we get in the ODI team. This is a great chance to challenge our skills against a very good side. Three spinners and three quicks for us today."
IND vs SA Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna
South Africa: Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Prenelan Subrayen, Nandre Burger, Ottneil Baartman
IND vs SA Pitch and Weather Report
The pitch in Ranchi is expected to offer a balanced contest: early assistance for seamers and some grip for spinners as the match progresses. Batting first could yield a competitive total in the range of 270–300 runs, while teams batting second might chase successfully if they pace their innings carefully. Weather appears friendly with clear skies, making it an ideal day for cricket.
