With the ODI series of the South Africa tour of India 2025 set to begin on November 30, veteran batter Virat Kohli has arrived in Ranchi, as the first stadium will be played at the JSCA Stadium.

The Indian cricket team landed in the city earlier this morning, surrounded by security at the airport exit, was warmly received at the Ranchi airport by Jharkhand State Cricket Association secretary Saurabh Tiwary, his former India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate.

Virat Kohli had previously landed in Mumbai on Tuesday, where he also enjoyed a cheerful welcome from the media before making his way to Ranchi for the ODI leg of the season.

Virat Kohli comes into the series on the back of an unbeaten 74 runs off 81 deliveries in the third ODI against Australia in the Sydney Cricket Ground, where India secured a 9-wicket victory anchored by Rohit Sharma’s 121* not out.

Virat Kohli remains a giant of the format with 14,255 runs in 305 ODIs, making him the second-highest run-scorer in ODI history. He is also the holder of the record for most centuries with 51.

Ranchi remains a wonderful memory for Virat Kohli. In just four ODI innings, he boasts an average of 192, including two centuries and a half-century, making the stadium one of his most prolific grounds.

He will be returning to the venue for the first time since 2019 for an ODI fixture against Australia, where he smashed a commanding century before the 2019 World Cup. The city hosted an ODI in 2022, coincidentally against South Africa, where India outplayed the visitors.

KL Rahul will be captaining India in the ODI series against South Africa as Gill undergoes a medical assessment in Mumbai for a neck injury, and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, who is recovering from a spleen injury suffered while taking a catch to dismiss Alex Carey in that same ODI in Sydney.

KL Rahul brings a solid body of work to his leadership role, having scored 3092 runs in 88 ODIs at an average of 48.31 and a strike rate of 88.41.

His experience in the middle order and flexibility as a wicketkeeper-batter are expected to be key as India look to balance results against South Africa with longer-term planning for future ODI tournaments.

After losing the ODI series in Australia and enduring a test series defeat at home, the team will be hoping to secure a win in the series.