India vs South Africa: Men in Blue enter ODI reboot mode at Wanderers

With a clutch of youngsters lining up to make their presence felt, India’s journey into their ODI future will hit its first stop during the opening match against South Africa at the Wanderers on Sunday.

For some there are questions about the relevance of an ODI series with a T20 World Cup in sight. But for India, and to a good extent for the Proteas as well, this face-off signifies the arrival of a fresh line, building up ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have built their legacy in white ball formats over the last decade and a half, but now that they are in the closing stages of their respective careers, the younger Indian names will look to carry their legacy forward.

With that in mind, none will be in more focus than KL Rahul, who will lead India in this three-match series.

The wicketkeeper-batter has stood-in as India skipper in the past, but a successful outcome here could potentially land the Bengaluru man the ODI captaincy for a longer duration.