IND vs SA 1st ODI 2025: Who Will Open With Rohit Sharma?

The Indian cricket team, which suffered a crushing defeat in the Test series, is now ready for the ODI series. The first ODI between the two teams will be played on Sunday at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) Stadium in Ranchi. India's new ODI captain, Shubman Gill, is not playing in this series. KL Rahul will captain in his place. But the question is, who will open alongside Rohit Sharma in Gill's place?

Gill suffered a neck injury in the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata. Due to this, he could not play in the second Test. Gill will need time to recover. Meanwhile, ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer is also not in the team. He suffered a rib injury in the third ODI of the last Australia tour. This is why he is out of the series.

Who will open with Rohit Sharma?

Rohit Sharma is certain to open, but the question is who will partner him. Yashasvi Jaiswal is leading the race. He has opened alongside Rohit in Tests, and now, in Gill's absence, his chances of making the ODI squad appear quite strong. The team also has Ruturaj Gaikwad, who opens the innings, but his chances of playing seem slim.

Virat Kohli is also certain to play at number three, but the problem is the number four batsman. Although Iyer is a confirmed candidate for this position, he is not playing in this series. In such a situation, Tilak Verma may get a chance at this position. Tilak has played at this position in T20s. However, Rishabh Pant may challenge him for this position. Captain Rahul will be at number five. An all-rounder may get a chance at number six. This could be Nitish Kumar Reddy. His inclusion will also provide the team with a bowling option. He could face competition from Washington Sundar. If Tilak plays, Rishabh Pant could come in at number six.

Who will get a chance among the bowlers?

It is also certain that India will field two spinners in Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Prasidh Krishna will lead the pace attack.

IND vs SA India's Probable Playing 11:

KL Rahul (captain), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Prasidh Krishna.

Read More: IND vs SA 1st ODI 2025 Pitch Report, Weather, Toss & Live Streaming Details