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After a 2-0 drubbing in the Test series at home, India will host South Africa in a three-match ODI series, starting on Sunday in Ranchi.
Speaking on JioStar, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma expressed his excitement about facing Indian legends Kohli and Rohit in the upcoming ODI series. Bavuma also highlighted the unique energy that both veteran cricketers bring to the field. "India deserves full respect in every format because they always field a strong team. Playing them in their home conditions makes the challenge even tougher. Their ODI team looks stronger with experienced players returning, which will definitely test us as a team during this series," Bavuma said. "It's exciting for local fans to watch their two legends play at home again. We're looking forward to experiencing the special energy these star players bring. While we'll prepare specific plans for them like any other players, we know the atmosphere will be different and exciting when these big names are playing," the South Africa captain added. The three-match ODI series will offer India the chance to take revenge for their Test series loss. South Africa, on the other hand, is coming off a historic Test series win in India and will look to carry that momentum into the ODI format. KL Rahul will lead Team India in the ODIs in Shubman Gill's absence. With Gill out, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad are the two contenders to open, and the southpaw is expected to get the call for the first game. Team India stars Kohli and Sharma are set to return to action. The duo last appeared in an ODI game against Australia in Sydney in October, where Rohit struck an unbeaten, match-winning 121 and Kohli added a smooth, unbeaten 74. The pair combined for a 168-run partnership. Both veterans now feature exclusively in ODI cricket, having stepped away from Tests and T20Is. Kohli and Rohit are on the verge of breaking historic records ahead of the ODI series opener in Ranchi. Sharma, the current number-one-ranked ODI batter, is poised to become only the fourth Indian batter to reach 20,000 runs. He has 19,902 international runs to his name in 502 matches. The India opener scored 4,301 runs in 67 tests. He has 4,231 runs in T20Is and 11,370 runs in ODIs. He is only 98 runs away from joining an elite 20,000-run club that includes Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid. Kohli, meanwhile, is just one century away from holding the record for the most hundreds by a batter in a single format. He currently sits on 51 centuries, tied with Sachin Tendulkar, who ended his Test career with the exact tally. Remarkably, only Kohli and Tendulkar have ever reached the milestone of 50 or more centuries in a single format. (ANI)
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