India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel expressed confidence and renewed energy in the camp with the return of star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the three-match ODI series against South Africa. The Men in Blue are looking to bounce back after their disappointing 0-2 Test series defeat, and the comeback of the two senior players has lifted the team’s morale.
The ODI series begins on November 30 at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi, where India conducted their first practice session on November 27. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Morkel acknowledged the team’s recent struggles but emphasized that the squad is ready to reset.
“It has been a challenging last couple of weeks for everyone. We’ve had time to reflect. But with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returning, we’re excited for what lies ahead,” Morkel said. He also confirmed that the team would practice under lights and finalize their combination later in the evening, including whether Nitish Kumar Reddy or Washington Sundar will feature in the playing XI.
The training session in Ranchi was led by Rohit and Virat, marking their much-anticipated return to international cricket. The duo last played together in the ODI series in Australia, where India lost the first two games but ended the tour with a victory set up by a crucial partnership between the two batting giants.
Both players were rested for the recent Test series against South Africa but have now rejoined the ODI squad, which will be captained by KL Rahul. The Jharkhand Cricket Association shared visuals of Rohit and Virat’s intense net session, further boosting fans’ excitement.
India’s ODI Squad:
Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (C) (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel
South Africa ODI Squad:
Temba Bavuma (C), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Rubin Hermann, Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Prenelan Subrayen