Ind v SA first ODI: All eyes on Rahul & Kohli!

After the debacle of the Test series, Team India is gearing up for the three-match ODI series against South Africa. The first ODI will be held today in Paarl tonight.

KL Rahul, who has been appointed as the interim captain, in the absence of Rohit Sharma, will be leading the side in this series. This also happens to be Virat Kohli’s first ODI after he got sacked as the captain in this format.

The ODI squad is very different from the Test squad. There is a huge talent pool to choose from. It has to be seen who will make it to the playing XI. As Rohit is absent, veteran Shikhar Dhawan may open the innings with Rahul. Virat Kohli may follow them. Shreyas Iyer, Rishab Pant, and Venkatesh Iyer might be in the middle order.

Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Shardul Thakur might be the first choice pacers and Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal might end up as the spin duo. The team looks good on paper but we cannot underestimate South Africa, especially after the recent Test series.

It will also be a real test for KL Rahul. We have to see how well does he use his players and help his team in winning the game. BCCI will watch him closely as he is being considered for the position of full-time Test captain. Watching Virat Kohli as a player and not as a captain will also be interesting. Fans are hoping that he plays his game free, from now on.

The match starts at 2 PM IST. It will be telecasted on Star Sports Network and streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.