India host South Africa in the opening ODI of their three-match series at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on November 30, 2025. KL Rahul captains the home side in Shubman Gill’s absence due to injury, while Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to strengthen the lineup after impressive outings against Australia. South Africaled by Temba Bavumalook to build on the momentum from their rare Test series victory in India, now turning their attention to white-ball cricket without the services of Kagiso Rabada.

India’s squad leans on strong batting depth, featuring Rohit Sharma close to the 20,000-run milestone and Virat Kohli’s outstanding record versus South Africa (1,504 ODI runs at an average of 65.39). The team also benefits from the all-round abilities of Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundarand Nitish Kumar Reddy. Rishabh Pant and Tilak Varma add punch to the middle order, while Kuldeep Yadav leads the spin department alongside a pace unit of Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Ranaand Prasidh Krishna.

South Africa’s lineup combines the experience of Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram with rising pacers Corbin Bosch, Nandre Burgerand Ottneil Baartman. Their spin attack is anchored by Keshav Maharaj and Prenelan Subrayenwhile Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton bring explosive middle-order potential.

IND vs SA, 1^st ODI: Match Details

• Date and Time: November 30; 01:30 pm IST / 08:00 am GMT
• Venue: JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi

IND vs SA, Head-to-Head Record (ODI)

Matches Played: 94 | India won: 40 | South Africa won: 51 | No results: 03

JSCA International Stadium Complex Pitch Report

The JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi offers a balanced surface for the India vs South Africa 1st ODI, providing assistance to both batters and bowlers on its black-soil pitch. Pacers are expected to benefit early on with movement and bounce, while the pitch gradually slows down to support spinners such as Kuldeep Yadav and Keshav Maharaj as the match progresses. In nine ODIs at this venue, chasing teams have won five times, with first-innings totals typically ranging between 235 and 265 and a run rate hovering around 5.94, highlighted by India’s 348/6 as the highest score. With clear skies and potential evening dew favoring run chases, captains may prefer to bowl first. A strategic battle is likely, with spin playing a crucial role in the middle overs on this relatively restrictive ground.

Squads

India: KL Rahul (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh.

South Africa: Tellmbance (c).

IND vs SA, 1st ODI: Match Prediction

Case 1:

• India wins the toss and bowls first
• South Africa’s powerplay score: 60-70
• South Africa’s total score: 270-280

Case 2:

• South Africa wins the toss and bowls first
• India’s powerplay score: 65-75
• India’s total score: 300-310

Match result: Team bowling first to win the game.

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