The T20I captain of the Indian cricket team, Suryakumar Yadav, has started their preparation for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, which begins on December 09 with the opening clash set to be taken place at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. However, their luck hasn’t been the same with tosses. 

India’s stand-in captain in the three-match ODI series, KL Rahul, ended their nightmare of losing tosses for more than two years when he found the right side of the coin during the third ODI at the Visakhapatnam, which was their first toss win since the 2023 ODI World Cup semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

See Also: "Character assassination..."- R Ashwin attacks Gautam Gambhir's toxic fan base post 2-1 ODI series win vs South Africa

“I also do it with my left hand.”- Sky expressed in a hilarious press conference as he would aim to use the left-hand for flicking coin, which was used by Rahul for the third ODI in Vizag. The dew will be massive in Cuttack for the second innings, and that’s where it will be an acid Test.

Suryakumar Yadav to use KL Rahul’s new trick for toss in IND vs SA 1st T20I

The T20I series will see both Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill making a comeback in the national side. The former was out of action since the Asia Cup 2025 while Gill picked up the neck injury during the opening Test against the Rainbow Nation at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

I think what you saw in the Asia Cup also, when he was bowling the new ball, he opened a lot of options, lot of combinations for us with respect to playing XI. That's what he brings to the table. His experience, the way he has done really well in all the matches, all good games also, all bigger games in ICC events.” Sky shed light.

“The preparation for the T20 World Cup started after the T20 World Cup of 2024 was over. Because in any big tournament, you cannot think that the tournament is here and the preparation has started. When we give exams in school, it is not like we try to study everything in the last four days. We study for a year or two.” Suryakumar Yadav concluded.

Team India players who took part in the second ODI against South Africa at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday, December 3, have been fined 10% of their match fees. The ICC imposed the penalty after India failed to maintain the required over-rate during the match. Since the team finished two overs short, the slow over-rate ruling was automatically applied.

The Indians accepted the sanction without dispute, as KL Rahul pleaded guilty right away. This meant that the process ended quickly, with no requirement for a formal hearing. The ICC stated in its release, "Rahul pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Rod Tucker and Rohan Pandit, third umpire Sam Nogajski and fourth umpire Jayaraman Madanagopal leveled the charge."

According to Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for players and support staff, teams are fined 5% of their match fee for every over they fall short. As India were two overs behind, each player was fined 10 percent of their match fee.

India Fall Short in Raipur Thriller as South Africa Clinches Victory

The Raipur ODI turned into a high-scoring nail-biter, with South Africa chasing down a huge 359-run target in the final over. A brilliant century by Aiden Markram guided the chase, and left the Indian bowlers struggling in wet and dewy conditions.

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KL Rahul explained the challenges after the game, saying, "Not really a [tough one to swallow] given how much dew there is and how difficult it is to bowl in the second innings. Thought we did well in the last game. Today the umpires were nice to change the ball. Toss plays a big role so I'm kicking myself (laughs). There is always things we could have done better. With the bat, I know that 350 looks good, but that has been the chat in the dressing room even after the last game about how we can get the extra 20-25 runs to give bowlers a cushion with the wet ball."

Fans who are used to watching matches on television or mobile screens can miss multiple back-of-the-camera moments. For example, the atmosphere at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam during the toss of India vs. South Africa 3rd ODI (IND vs SA 3rd ODI). Viewers might have heard the noise from the crowd as KL Rahul won the toss for India after a long time. But did you see head coach Gautam Gambhir's reaction?

Might have not because he was behind the cameramen. But, because of the social media platforms, these small moments related to a match are now visible to all. The Indian team ended its streak of losing the toss in 20 consecutive ODIs, finally winning the toss in the third ODI. It was a long-awaited moment for the team and for the Indian cricket fans. Host and former India cricketer Dinesh Kartik was also delighted as India won the toss. Stand-in captain KL Rahul celebrated the moment with a joyful gesture and smile on his face.

What were the other Indian players and staff doing when they saw Rahul won the toss? According to the viral video, Gambhir was seen smiling softly after India won the toss. This reaction from Gautam Gambhir is going viral on social media. Tilak Varma was there behind the camera and coach Gambhir. Fans, on the other hand, were seen cheering after Rahul won the toss.

Read More: List of batters who scored double hundred in 4th innings of Test match ft. Justin Greaves

Watch Gautam Gambhir's reaction when KL Rahul won the toss in India vs South Africa 3rd ODI match 

The moment, After finally losing 20 consecutive tosses in ODIs, Team India won their first toss today.😁🇮🇳❤️

The reactions of Gautam Gambhir, Tilak Varma and other members after winning toss.😂❤️ pic.twitter.com/Rn0Z7g2J1W

— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) December 6, 2025

To break the toss losing streak, Rahul used a trick. He tossed the coin with his left hand instead of his right. Bavuma called heads, and the coin landed tails in KL Rahul's favor. India won the toss and eventually won the match as well. With the win, India claimed the 3-match ODI series by a 2-1 scoreline. 

Playing XIs:

India—Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (c/wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.

South Africa—Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram, Dewald Brewis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Bartman. 

When KL Rahul walked into the middle for the toss of the third ODI of the three-match series against South Africa at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, there was chatter about the toss results. India hadn’t won a single toss since the semifinal of the 2023 ODI World Cup against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

But quite surprisingly, KL Rahul, this time, got it right and decided to bowl first on a surface which would get better for batting under light, but more importantly, get easier to bat on in wet conditions. It was a trick from the stand-in captain, who used his left hand to change the fortune for this clash.

See Also: “Half of Ashwin if…”- Former RCB star lashes out at Gautam Gambhir on Washington Sundar's role in IND vs SA ODI series

“We trained here last night, and the feedback from the coaches was that there was dew, but it didn't come in as early as Ranchi and Raipur. We were obviously planning to bowl second, keeping our track record in mind. I don't think it's going to play such a big part like Raipur and Ranchi.” Rahul expressed after winning the toss.

Watch: KL Rahul uses left-hand trick to win toss during IND vs SA 3rd ODI in Vishakhapatnam

The home management has decided to bring Tilak Verma in place of Washington Sundar for the clash. Sundar didn’t bowl much and scored only 14 runs in the first couple of games of the series.

🚨 Toss 🚨#TeamIndia have won the toss and elected to field first.

Updates ▶️ https://t.co/HM6zm9o7bm#INDvSA | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/vYNPSa1iKF

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 6, 2025

“There are a lot of positives to take, and I'm really happy with the way we bowled and batted. The chat obviously has been to keep doing the same thing and stay consistent with what we're doing and stay consistent with that process. We know that the results will follow. Not many things that we're looking to change.” Rahul addressed the toss.

“There's a lot of positives to take, and I'm really happy with the way we bowled and batted. The chat obviously has been to keep doing the same thing and stay consistent with what we're doing and stay consistent with that process. We know that the results will follow. Not many things that we're looking to change.” India’s captain informed.

For the second consecutive time in the three-match series against South Africa at home, KL Rahul contributed massively with the bat towards the back end of the innings. In the last game, his half-century was key to taking the score near the 350-run mark in the first innings as he continued the same aggression in this second ODI at Raipur.

Unlike the opening ODI at the JSCA Cricket Complex in Ranchi, where he batted at number six, KL Rahul walked into the middle at number five and drilled an unbeaten knock of 66 runs in 43 balls at a strike rate of 153.49 with the help of six boundaries and a couple of sixes.

See Also: Twitter Reactions: Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad celebrate respective 50s in IND vs SA 2nd ODI

Rahul was aggressive even from the start of his innings, as he played the sweep, reverse sweep, or the ramp shot, besides not being afraid to take the ball over the in-field, and using the feet against the spinners.

Twitter Reactions: KL Rahul celebrates 33-ball half-century during IND vs SA Raipur ODI

India at one stage looked good to go past the 375-run mark in their allotted 50 overs. But once the single ball was used, it slowed down the run rate and brought the Proteas back in the clash before KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten 69-run stand carried them to 358/5 in their 50 overs.

Back to back fifty. மட்டுமில்லாம Valuable runs. போன matchம் பொறுப்பெடுத்து… Batting position மாறுனாலும், தன்ன தகவமச்சி ஆடுன KL Rahul.🔥#INDvsSA #Parasakthi #Cricanadha pic.twitter.com/5UB1j4oLKZ

— Cricket Anand 🏏 (@cricanandha) December 3, 2025

KL Rahul averages almost 60 at no 5, and has over 1350 runs at a SR of 98, with 2 centuries and 10 fifties.

Now why would you not bat him permanently at no 5? It’s a no brainer. KL Rahul should be your no 5 for the 2027 WC #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/OLGprFKsTM

— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) December 3, 2025

Back-to-back fifties for KL Rahul, scoring crucial runs at lower down the order consistently. pic.twitter.com/dMiuDpZHxS

— TukTuk Academy (@TukTuk_Academy) December 3, 2025

That was some Ridiculous Hit by KL to Finish the innings on a High!!🥶

Captain KL Rahul led from the front and score 66*(43) with 154 strike rate. pic.twitter.com/hcqTiambct

— Jyotirmay Das (@dasjy0tirmay) December 3, 2025

Back-to-back fifties for KL Rahul, and today he’s striking at 150. He’s fully in his flow — and when he’s in this kind of rhythm, every other batsman starts to look mid in comparison. pic.twitter.com/no9hth7mAv

— INCUBUS (@Klassyisback_) December 3, 2025

Back-to-back quickfire 50s! Leading from the front @klrahul 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/RsRg8W7ur5

— Mayank Agarwal (@mayankcricket) December 3, 2025

FIFTY at No. 5 in 1st ODI
FIFTY at No. 6 in 2nd ODI

KL RAHUL will score a FIFTY even Gambhir plays him at No. 11 🤫

Easily he missed 5-7 odi hundreds playing at Middle order for team💔

His Sacrifices for this teams need not to be Forgotten🥹#KLRahul #INDvSA #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/MvmETz1XSf

— BEAST (@BEASTKLR) December 3, 2025

KL Rahul, the stand-in captain for the three-match ODI series against South Africa due to the injury of Shubman Gill, turned up at number six in the opening clash at the JSCA International Cricket Complex in Ranchi in his beast mode and continued to show the same flavor even in the second game, where he batted at number five. 

After the dismissal of Ruturaj Gaikwad, who notched up his maiden century in the 50-over format, KL Rahul walked into the middle at number five instead of Washington Sundar. From the very first ball, the wicket-keeper batter looked to be aggressive against the Rainbow Nation as he smashed the spinners’ lengths and used his to counter the balls.

See Also: Twitter Reactions: Ruturaj Gaikwad records his maiden ODI century during IND vs SA 2nd ODI in Raipur

One of his best shots in the encounter came on the fifth delivery of the last over, where Corbin Bosch went round the wicket and angled it across, but the length was in the slot for Rahul, who went down on his knee and smashed the slog sweep over the deep square leg for a massive 85-meter six.

Watch: KL Rahul smashes Corbin Bosch for 85-meter six during IND vs SA 2nd ODI in Raipur

On the ball before nailing the six, the right-handed batter went over the mid-off region inside the ring and smashed a boundary. Since 2023, he has now hit the third most runs (424) at a strike rate of 142.76 in overs of 41 and 50 as India posted their second-highest ODI score against South Africa.

Klassy and stylish! 😎#TeamIndia finish the innings on a high 🙌

Updates ▶️ https://t.co/oBs0Ns6SqR#INDvSA | @IDFCFIRSTBank | @klrahul pic.twitter.com/NCfZdISnt2

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 3, 2025

Rahul remained unbeaten on 66 runs in 43 balls at a strike rate of 153.49 with the help of six boundaries and two sixes, while Virat Kohli drilled 102 runs in 93 balls with the help of seven boundaries and two sixes at a strike rate of 109.68.

Gaikwad also clubbed 105 runs in 83 balls at a strike rate of 153.49 with the help of six boundaries and two sixes. India, with 358 runs on the board, looked confident of sealing the series by a 2-0 margin.

The last time India won a toss in an ODI game was back in the World Cup semifinal 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium. After that, they have lost 20 consecutive tosses in the format, including the second ODI against South Africa at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur, under the leadership of KL Rahul. 

KL Rahul, who lost the toss even in the opening clash in Ranchi, kissed the coin before flipping it in the air. But it didn’t matter as Temba Bavuma, the visiting captain, made the right call and won the toss. The probability of losing 20 successive tosses is 1 in 1047576.

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“Honestly, that's the most pressure I've had because we haven't won a toss in a long time. I've been practicing, but clearly it's not working. I think we did really well last game. A lot of positives from the last game, so just trying to continue that. And, come out here, play hard cricket again. They pushed us in the last game as well. We know what to expect.” KL Rahul expressed in the toss presentation.  

Watch: KL Rahul kisses coin-toss as India retain same playing eleven for IND vs SA Raipur ODI

India decided to retain the same playing eleven from the last game, which meant Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad got one more chance to show their caliber in the 50-over format. South Africa made a few changes to their combination.

🚨 Toss 🚨#TeamIndia have been put into bat first.

Updates ▶️ https://t.co/oBs0Ns6SqR#INDvSA | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/d7YT7IVEu9

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 3, 2025

“This is a time in India where there is a lot of dew. We're expecting dew in every place that we play. So, the bowlers have spoken about it. A few tactics and a few things that we've spoken about, which I think we did really well in the last game. So, that'll give our bowling team a lot of confidence.” Rahul informed.

“Just carry from there and keep getting better. If we put runs on board and pick up a few wickets early on, then it becomes a bit easier for us. The wicket looks good. The only reason any team opts to bat second is the dew factor and not much to do with the wicket.” India’s stand-in captain addressed.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, stars of India’s 17-run win over South Africa in the first ODI, were seen celebrating at the team hotel in Ranchi from a distance. Stand-in captain KL Rahul was asked to cut a cake.

In the viral clip, Rohit can be seen chatting with head coach Gautam Gambhir, while Kohli walked past them and politely declined to join the celebration as he headed towards the elevator.

Kohli scored a brilliant century in his first ODI at home since February, while Rohit Sharma hit a fifty to help India post a match-winning total of 349/8 at the JSCA International Stadium on Sunday. India won the game despite a strong fight from South Africa, who twice bounced back from early losses to keep the match alive.

Watch the Video here:

Gautam Gambhir seen talking with Rohit Sharma at the team hotel while the Indian team was celebrating their victory by cutting a cake.🇮🇳❤️ pic.twitter.com/iw6ld3PCv4

— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) December 1, 2025

Also Read -Watch: Ravichandran Ashwin credits this behind Rohit Sharma turning into six-hitting player

'RoKo' Shine with Batting Masterclass

India batted first as South Africa hoped to take advantage of the dew later in the evening. Left-arm pacer Nandre Burger struck early by getting opener Yashasvi Jaiswal caught behind in the 4th over. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli then built a century partnership for the second wicket to give India control. Rohit scored 57 runs off 51 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes before being trapped LBW by Marco Jansen. Kohli reached his century and increased the scoring rate, finishing with 135 runs off 120 balls, including 11 fours and seven sixes.

In the bowling department, Kuldeep Yadav took four wickets while Harshit Rana picked up three as South Africa were bowled out for 332 while chasing 350. India will aim to close out the series in Raipur, the venue of the second ODI, on Wednesday.

The first of the 3-match ODI series is underway in Ranchi (IND vs SA 1st ODI). After losing the 2-match Test series by 0-2, India is up against South Africa in the 50-over format match. In the first match, KL Rahul is assigned as the skipper of Team India. But where is Shubman Gill? Why is he not playing the important match? 

Shubman Gill is the regular captain of India's ODI and Test teams. As he and Shreyas Iyer are not available in IND vs SA 1st ODI, Rahul is playing the game as the stand-in skipper. Gill is out of action due to injury. He received the injury in the first Test match against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

During the batting in the first innings of the match, he injured his neck while playing a sweep shot for a boundary. Right after playing the shot, Gill felt pain in his neck and left the field after a while. Since then, the top-order batter has been out of action. Currently, he is recovering from the injury. Before the beginning of the IND vs SA ODI series, Team India bowling coach Morne Morkel provided an update on Gill's medical condition.

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Why is Shubman Gill not playing India vs South Africa 1st ODI in Ranchi

"I think the best is for the medical team to give that update. I spoke to Shubman two days ago just to check in with him, and he is recovering well. So, that is pleasing to hear," Morkel informed. 

Iyer is out from the match because of a rib injury. He is now under rehab. "Shreyas has also started his rehab, which is great. So, we are looking forward to welcoming them back into the squad. The good thing is that they are healthy, and they are starting their preparation on their way back into the team," Morkel said about Iyer's current condition. 

Playing XIs:

South Africa: Aiden Markram (C), Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock (WK), Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Prenelan Subrayen, Nandre Burger, and Ottneil Baartman.

India: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul (C/WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna.

The Test series loss against South Africa still stings the Indian cricket team. The 3-match ODI series can be their moment of redemption. After back-to-back defeats in the Tests, a win in the first One Day International match in Ranchi (IND vs SA 1st ODI) will boost up the home team's confidence. 

India is in Ranchi without their regular skipper, Shubman Gill, and vice-captain, Shreyas Iyer; both are out of action due to injury reasons. KL Rahul is the stand-in captain for the match. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's inclusion in the team can provide the Men in Blue an extra edge over the in-form South Africa cricket team. In ODI, India has faced South Africa so far in 94 matches. where India got to win in 40 games, and South Africa was victorious on 51 occasions; in the overall stats, South Africa's track record is better than the Indian cricket team's.

The last time these two teams were up against each other in this format was in 2023. India won the three-match ODI series by 2-1. In the recent past, India's performance in the limited overs series has been brilliant. The South African cricket team will have to work hard to maintain their winning momentum in the multi-format tour. 

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Toss Update:

South Africa ODI team skipper Aiden Markram won the toss and decided to bowl first at the JSCA International Stadium Complex. From the pitch side, former cricketer, now a cricket expert, Shaun Pollock said that the pitch is looking really good. There are some cracks on the deck, but there is a thin layer of grass as well. 

"We will bowl first. Different personnel, the dressing room is at a good place with a lot of energy and fun. It’s an important series, the end role the 2027 WC, still a bit of time, but we’re up against one of the best teams in the world. Just one spinner in Subrayen, I will bowl a bit – Temba and Maharaj have been rested, four seamers for us today", Markram said after the toss. 

On the other side, KL Rahul stated, "The preparation has been good, the energy is there with a lot of players coming back, we want to enjoy ourselves in the middle. That’s what the chat has been, we need to use every opportunity we get in the ODI team, this is a great chance to challenge our skills against a very good team. "

Playing XI:

South Africa: Aiden Markram (C), Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock (WK), Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Prenelan Subrayen, Nandre Burger, and Ottneil Baartman.

India: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul (C/WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna.