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Rinku Singh To Debut, Samson Excluded; Here's India's Playing XI For 1st ODI Vs South Africa

image-lq7r8s66Rinku Singh will likely make his ODI debut on Sunday [AP]

On Sunday, India will cross swords against South Africa in the first ODI of the three-match series at the iconic Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. The T20I series between the two teams ended in a draw, as India secured a thumping win over the hosts in the decider after losing the rain-marred second game. 

The visitors have suffered a massive setback, with Deepak Chahar withdrawing himself from the ODI leg due to family emergency. Young Bengal seamer Akash Deep, who plays for RCB, has replaced him in the Indian squad. 

So, before the series begins, let's analyse and find out how could India lineup for the first ODI in Johannesburg. 


India's Probable Playing XI For 1st ODI Vs South Africa

As Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal won't feature in the ODIs, we expect Ruturaj Gaikwad to open the batting alongside Sai Sudharsan, who has earned his maiden national call-up, riding on his exceptional domestic performances. 

Stylish southpaw Tilak Varma could pip Rajat Patidar for the number three batter's role, as he has been India's first preference in white-ball cricket for quite a while now. The experienced duo of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul will likely bat at their preferred positions, i.e. number 4 and 5, respectively. 

Swashbuckling batter Rinku Singh, who smashed a scintillating fifty in the second T20I in Gqeberha, will bat at number six to ensure a fitting finish for the Indian team. Axar Patel will feature as the solitary all-rounder, with Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh playing as specialist bowlers. 

India's Probable Playing XI For 1st ODI:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Tilak Varma, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (C/WK), Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh