Led by KL Rahul, India will take on South Africa in a three-game ODI Series as part of their tour of South Africa 2023-24. The first match between the pair will be played on December 17 at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg; here are three key battles that could define its outcome
India's Tour of South Africa 2023-24 continues with the two teams prepared to face each other in a series of three One Day Internationals next. Both sides won a game each in the bygone T20 International series but the abandonment of the third meant that they would end up sharing the spoils. Focus, therefore, turns on ODIs with both India and South Africa aiming to establish their dominance in the ongoing mini-tournament. (Live Blog | Scorecard | Streaming | Full Coverage)
India will be without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Deepak Chahar for the series, while Shreyas Iyer will leave the ODI squad after the conclusion of the first match. Furthermore, the Indian ODI team will have a different set of coaching staff to guide them from the sidelines, after Rahul Dravid and his team choosing to focus their attention toward the inter-squad practice Test instead.
With those caveats in mind, here are three key battles that could define the outcome of the IND vs RSA, 1st ODI:
KL Rahul vs Keshav Maharaj
With the T20I series over, the captaincy duties of team India have changed hands; Suryakumar Yadav, who led the side for the T20I series' against Australia and South Africa has handed them over to KL Rahul. With the burden of captaincy on his shoulder, Rahul will be expected to lead the line from the front right from the get-go. Standing in his way in Johannesburg will be the in-form Keshav Maharaj. Ranked the number one bowler in ODIs, Maharaj will lead the South African spin attack through the series, hoping to thwart the visitors in their tracks. Claiming the scalp of the Indian skipper will help him do exactly that when the teams meet next.
Shreyas Iyer vs Tabraiz Shamsi
Shreyas Iyer's all-formats mastery and availability means that he is one of the select Indian players chosen to play multiple series' in India's Tour of South Africa 2023-24. Iyer will only be available to the Men in Blue for the first ODI, following which he will leave the ODI camp to join the Test squad. With limited playing time available to him, the Indian batter will look to carry over his ICC ODI World Cup form to the South Africa series and deliver his team a win. The brunt of stopping him from doing so will fall on the South Africa spinners, with Tabraiz Shamsi a candidate to provide him with a match for his expertise.
Aiden Markram vs Avesh Khan
Aiden Markram will lead the South African team into the ODI series against India in the absence of Temba Bavuma and, like Rahul, will be the centrepiece of any constructive good that the Proteas look to create in the coming days. An explosive batter, Markram will be a challenge for any Indian bowler, including Avesh Khan, whose charge to establish himself as a first-team regular across multiple formats continues with the tour. The two are likely to face each other at a certain point in the first ODI between India and South Africa and the winner of their bout could provide the necessary momentum their teams need to build toward a victory.
ODI Squads
India
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Tilak Varma, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (C)(wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, and Akash Deep
South Africa
Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Mihlali Mpongwana, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne and Lizaad Williams