3 player battles to watch out for in IND vs SA 2025 ODI series ft. Virat Kohli

India have a chance to redeem themselves following a 0-2 drubbing in the recently concluded Test series against South Africa at home. The action shifts to white-ball cricket, with the ODI series between the two sides kicking off in Ranchi on Sunday, November 30.

The Proteas completely dominated the hosts in the red-ball fixtures, claiming their first Test series on Indian soil in 25 years. The Men in Blue will look to bounce back by coming up with an improved showing in the 50-over games.

However, the home team will be without captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer as they missed out due to their respective injuries. Senior keeper-batter KL Rahul has been appointed as the stand-in skipper in their absence.

South Africa, on the other hand, won't have their pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada. The ace fast bowler missed the two-match Test series as well because of a rib bone stress injury.

The two sides have faced each other in 94 ODI matches. The head-to-head record currently stands at 51-40 in South Africa's favor. However, India have 18 wins to their name against the opposition at home, while South Africa have finished on the winning side 14 times.

On that note, here's a look at three player battles to watch out for in the upcoming ODI series.

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#1 Virat Kohli (IND) vs Marco Jansen (SA)

Star batter Virat Kohli made a disappointing return to international cricket last month, registering back-to-back ducks in the first two ODIs of the away series against Australia. However, the former captain roared back to form with an unbeaten 74-run knock from 81 balls in the third match.

The 37-year-old has a superb record against South Africa in the format. He has a fantastic average of 65.39, having amassed 1504 runs across 29 innings. Left-arm seamer Marco Jansen could pose a tough challenge for the seasoned campaigner.

The bowler has dismissed Kohli four times in 10 innings across formats. Jansen looked in stunning form in the Test series too, claiming 12 scalps from four innings.

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#2 Aiden Markram (SA) vs Ravindra Jadeja (IND)

Aiden Markram will be a vital cog for South Africa in the ODI series. However, the right-handed batter has struggled against the opposition in the 50-over format, scoring 330 runs across 16 outings at an underwhelming average of 23.57.

His challenge against veteran left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja could be an exciting one to watch for the fans. The senior all-rounder returned to the ODI team after being rested for the Australia series.

The crafty spinner has enjoyed decent success against Markam. The top order batter has gotten out to Jadeja four times in seven innings in international cricket.

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#3 Rohit Sharma (IND) vs Lungi Ngidi (SA)

Rohit Sharma's form was one of the few positives for the side in their 1-2 ODI series defeat in Australia. The opener hit a brilliant century in the third fixture, scoring 121* runs off 125 deliveries.

He finished with 202 runs from three innings and was named the Player of the Series. The hosts will rely on the swashbuckling batter to give them quick-fire starts.

Right-arm pacer Lungi Ngidi could be South Africa's best bet against Sharma early on. The seamer has claimed the batter's wicket twice in three innings.