Stand-in India skipper KL Rahul has confirmed that Sanju Samson will be batting in the middle order, at either the 5th or 6th spot, in the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, scheduled to start from December 17. Rahul also confirmed that Rinku Singh is set to receive opportunities in the upcoming ODI series after producing star performances in the seven T20Is played against Australia and South Africa.

“Yeah, I think so (on whether Rinku will play at No.6). He has obviously shown how good a player he is. We have all seen in the IPL that he is very skilled. But what has been very good is the temperament he has shown in the T20I series, the game awareness and the calmness he has shown. Yes across all formats in first-class cricket. Yes, he will get his opportunity in the ODI series,” Rahul said in the pre-match press conference ahead of the 1st ODI against South Africa.

Rahul added that he is ready to continue donning the gloves and bat in the middle-order across formats for the Indian side.

“I will be doing wicket-keeping and batting in the middle order in this ODI series. Happy to take any role in the Test series which the captain and management wants (talking about keeping role) – of course, even in T20, I want to play for my country,” KL Rahul said in the pre-match press conference.

Following a 1-1 draw in the three-match T20 international series, the India tour of South Africa advances to the ODIs. The initial clash of the three ODIs is set to take place at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday, December 17, 2023. Notable alterations have been made in both squads, with India fielding only a subset of players from the T20 internationals. Consequently, the composition of the playing 11 for both teams becomes an intriguing aspect. Rahul will be leading Team India, and the availability of Shreyas Iyer adds an extra dimension to the selection choices.

Squads:
India: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Tilak Varma, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (C)(wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Akshar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep

South Africa: Reeza Hendricks, Tony de Zorzi, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen(w), David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lizaad Williams, Wiaan Mulder, Ottniel Baartman, Mihlali Mpongwana, Kyle Verreynne