India vs South Africa 1st ODI playing XI tip off: Shreyas Iyer returns, Sanju Samson and Axar Patel back in the ODI fray

IND vs SA 1st ODI playing XI tip off

While Samson was left out of India’s ODI World Cup, Iyer was an important component of the middle order in the World Cup. (Reuters/PTI)

After the T20Is, India and South Africa will lock horns in a three-match ODI series starting Sunday at New Wanderers in Johannesburg. Having lost the second T20I – with the first match washed out – the visitors came back in the series with a thumping 106-run win at the same venue on Thursday.

While Suryakumar Yadav, who hit a fourth T20I hundred and Kuldeep Yadav, who picked up his best T20I figures were the big protagonists for the men in blue, the ODI squad has quite a few changes in the personnel.

KL Rahul will assume the responsibilities as the skipper. Here are other changes India are likely to make in their playing XI:

Shreyas Iyer returns

Having been on the sidelines for the T20I series, Shreyas Iyer is likely to be one of the first names in the playing XI – making for one of the three players in the squad in South Africa who started the ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad last month.

With two hundreds and three fifties under his belt, Iyer was a crucial component of the Indian middle order at the World Cup and so it only makes sense that the think tank persist with him in the fresh cycle.

India’s Shreyas Iyer celebrates after reaching his century against the Netherlands cricket team. (PHOTO: REUTERS)

Sanju Samson with another chance?

One of the most intriguing selection plotlines in Indian cricket has been that of Sanju Samson. With 390 runs from the 13 matches he’s played for India so far, Samson has been on and off from the squad in white ball cricket but his inclusion for the South Africa series presents a new opportunity to the keeper batter.

What remains to be seen though is how captain KL Rahul adjusts if India start with Samson. Having kept the wickets throughout the World Cup at home, will Rahul make way for Samson, who has been a wicket-keeper for majority of his career or will it be the other way round?

Axar Patel to start

With both Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya not amongst the 16-member squad, Axar Patel gets a promotion as the most-experienced all-rounder.

IND vs AUS

Raipur: Indian bowler Axar Patel celebrates the wicket of Australian batter Travis Head during the fourth T20I match between India and Australia, at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, in Raipur, Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil)

The 29-year-old was part of India’s World Cup squad but didn’t start in any of the games throughout the competition. The series in South Africa presents another opportunity to present himself as a prime contender in the format. Alongside Axar, the duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal will be up for selection to make for a potent spin attack.

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Predicted playing XI:

India: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (c & wk), Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.

South Africa: Reeza Hendricks, Tony de Zorzi, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Nandre Burger, Lizaad Williams