As India clashed with South Africa in the inaugural ODI of the three-match series, the return of the dynamic Sanju Samson and the debut of Sai Sudharsan marked significant roster changes. Sudharsan, recognized for his List A cricket performances, earned his first cap for India. However, the seasoned duo of Rajat Patidar and Rinku Singh missed out on their ODI debuts, with Samson securing the coveted finisher’s spot over Rinku.

Despite the hype surrounding Sudharsan, Rinku, and Rajat, whose domestic and IPL performances have generated buzz, the trio faced exclusion in the series opener. Rinku, particularly known for his match-winning exploits in India’s T20I squad, was left out of the 1st ODI team.

In a twist of fate, South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram won the toss and elected to bat. KL Rahul, who leads India in the series, expressed a preference for batting first. Subsequently, Rahul unveiled India’s playing XI for the match, emphasizing the squad’s IPL experience and expressing optimism about their performance.

“It’s a special day; the Pink ODI is a big occasion in South Africa. Looking forward to the cracker of the game. There’s a bit of spin in the track, and we’ll try to put pressure on them. Sai Sudharsan is making his debut today. We have players with a lot of IPL experience, and hopefully, that helps them perform to the best of their ability,” said Rahul.

South Africa Playing XI:

Reeza Hendricks, Tony de Zorzi, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen(w), David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Tabraiz Shamsi, Andile Phehlukwayo.

India Playing XI:

KL Rahul(w/c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Mukesh Kumar.