The South African cricket team will play three ODIs in India as part of their 2025 India vs South Africa tour, which also includes two Tests and five T20Is. The series is part of India’s 2025–26 home season, confirmed by the BCCI.
The first ODI is on November 30, 2025 in Ranchi at the JSCA International Stadium Complex. The match begins at 1:30 PM IST and 08:00 GMT.
The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur will host the second ODI on December 3, 2025, beginning at 1:30 PM IST and 8:00 GMT.
The third ODI will take place at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on December 6, 2025, beginning at 1:30 PM IST and 8:00 GMT.
India vs South Africa ODI Series: Full Indian squad analysis
India vs South Africa ODI Series kicks off on November 30, 2025. KL Rahul will captain the team while Shubman Gill recovers from a neck injury. After not playing since August 2024, Rishabh Pant is back in the ODI team as the second wicketkeeper.
Jasprit Bumrah has been rested following a heavy workload across Tests, the T20 Asia Cup, and the Australia ODIs. Shreyas Iyer is still recovering from a lacerated spleen, which opened a middle-order spot for Tilak Varma. Tilak recently played a one-day series against South Africa A in Rajkot.
Pant and Tilak are in conflict for the vacant middle-order slot alongside Virat Kohli, Rahul, and Ravindra Jadeja. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar are the all-rounders. Axar Patel did not find a place in the squad.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to open with Rohit Sharma, while Ruturaj Gaikwad, who scored 117, 68*, and 25 in the India A series win over South Africa A, is the reserve opener.
Mohammed Siraj has been rested to manage the workload. Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Harshit Rana are the main pace options. Dhruv Jurel is included as a backup middle-order batter.
Hardik Pandya continues rehab for a quadriceps injury at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and may feature in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before decisions on his T20I return.
India vs South Africa ODI Series: Hits and Misses of the Indian squad
The announcement of India’s ODI squad for the South Africa series has brought strong reactions, mainly because the new-look team features several surprising calls. Rahul will lead the side, supported by the senior presence of Rohit Sharma and Kohli.
One of the biggest talking points is India carrying three wicketkeepers while Sanju Samson remains out of the picture. During the Australia squad announcement earlier, Agarkar had explained that Samson missed out because “a top-order slot was not open,” but the absence of both Gill and Shreyas temporarily opened two positions. His last ODI appearance came two years ago, when he scored a century, after which Gautam Gambhir remarked that Samson “should be persisted with and get a long run.”
Axar Patel’s omission is another major concern. He has been one of India’s most valuable white-ball players alongside Hardik Pandya, contributing with match-saving innings and completing his full quota of overs in most conditions. In the recent Australia ODIs, he steadied the innings during collapses with scores of 31 and 44 and took a wicket in each match. A report suggested Axar was rested, but he has barely played during the ongoing season, featuring in only one of the four home Tests and not being part of the England tour.
Ravindra Jadeja’s return also complicates the situation. After he was left out of the Australia series, his inclusion here raises a larger question about the team’s long-term plans. Both Jadeja and Axar played every game in India’s T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy triumphs, yet only one seems to fit into the current ODI plans.
The absence of Mohammed Shami continues to surprise observers as well. Despite being one of the most accomplished ODI pacers and finishing the Champions Trophy as the joint second-highest wicket-taker, Shami has again been left out. Agarkar had earlier highlighted concerns about his workload and fitness, but Shami has played four of Bengal’s five Ranji Trophy matches this season, bowled long spells, and taken 20 wickets.
India vs South Africa Series: A Look at the Indian Squad
India’s ODI squad: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (capt & wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel
FAQs
Q. When will the India vs South Africa ODI series be played?
A. The ODIs are on November 30 in Ranchi, December 3 in Raipur, and December 6 in Visakhapatnam. All matches start at 1:30 PM IST and 08:00 GMT.
Q. Who is leading India in the ODI series?
A. KL Rahul is the captain because Shubman Gill is recovering from a neck injury and Shreyas Iyer is still out with a spleen injury.
Q. What does the bowling attack look like?
A. Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Harshit Rana are the main pacers. Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Kumar Reddy form the all-round options.
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