The series will also witness the much-anticipated comeback of Indian cricket icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who return to ODI action after their impressive performances in Australia back in October, when Rohit smashed a match-winning unbeaten 121, and Kohli contributed an effortless 74*, stitching a 168-run stand.

Speaking on JioStar ahead of the first ODI, fast bowler Arshdeep Singh expressed excitement about sharing the field with the legendary duo once again. He believes that their form with the bat will silence any criticism. “Virat bhai and Rohit bhai will do their talking with the bat. Watching them time the ball beautifully in practice is a nightmare for any bowler, but as a teammate, it’s thrilling. I’m expecting big scores from them in the first ODI,” Arshdeep said

The left-arm pacer also opened up on his approach to adapting to match situations, emphasising his role as a wicket-taker for the team. “Wherever you play, adapting to conditions quickly is vital. You assess the pitch, study the batters, and choose your variations wisely based on your rhythm. Whether at home or away, my job is to give my best and pick wickets,” he added.

Meanwhile, KL Rahul will lead India in this series as a stand-in captain due to Shubman Gill’s injury. Gill injured himself during the first Test in Kolkata and, after failing to recover in time, has been sidelined from both the remainder of the Test series and the ODIs.

As India looks to avenge the Test series loss, fans are eager to see whether the experience of Kohli and Rohit, now focusing exclusively on ODI cricket, will help the Men in Blue bounce back strong against the Proteas.

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna