Their last ODI appearance came in the World Cup 2023 final.
After an embarrassing Test series, India will take on South Africa for three ODIs. The Men in Blue’s prime pacers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, are among the notable absentees for the IND vs SA ODI series.
Several key figures, including skipper Shubman Gill, vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, and Hardik Pandya, are set to miss the upcoming 50-over fixtures due to injury issues. In the interim, KL Rahul will lead the team.
Following a packed cricketing schedule, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to rest the pace duo of Bumrah and Siraj. Earlier, Bumrah had appeared in only three fixtures of the England Test series to manage his workload. He was also rested for the ODI leg of India’s white-ball tour of Australia.
However, this break would be helpful for the 31-year-old, considering the upcoming five-match T20I series against the same opponents. His availability in the forthcoming series will be crucial for the defending champions as the teams prepare for the T20 World Cup 202.
On the other hand, Siraj has been a regular face in India’s playing XI in Tests in recent times. The only exception was the recent T20Is in Australia. However, the board had explained his omission in that series as part of his workload management.
This suggests that the bowler might find a place in India’s 20-over squad facing the Proteas, as the reigning champions would be looking to finalise their combination for the mega ICC event. Notably, his last appearance in the shortest format had come in July 2024.
India: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul (w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna.
South Africa: Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock (w), Aiden Markram (c), Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Prenelan Subrayen, Nandre Burger, and Ottneil Baartman.
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Interestingly, Bumrah is yet to feature in a 50-over fixture since India’s home defeat in the ODI World Cup 2023 final. But the seamer’s stats in the format are exceptional. In 89 ODI appearances so far, he has bagged 149 wickets, including six four-fers and two five-wicket hauls, at an impressive economy of 4.59.
Siraj had also put up a decent show in the recent ODIs on Australian soil. While making a comeback in the ODI setup after more than a year, the seamer delivered economical spells and snared two scalps in the three fixtures facing the Aussies.
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