Context: What’s Happened So Far -

The first ODI of the series, played on November 30, 2025 at Ranchi, was an absolute thriller. India posted a formidable total (with a standout century by Virat Kohli) and South Africa fought hard to put up a strong chase. As a result, India currently leads the three-match ODI series 1–0.

With that win in the bag, the second ODI in Raipur has even more at stake — a chance for India to wrap up the series, or for South Africa to bounce back and level things up.

When & Where: 2nd ODI Details

Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Venue: Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur
Start Time: 1:30 PM IST

The pitch in Raipur is expected to be balanced, offering something for both batters and bowlers — early seam movement and later some grip for spinners.

Given the close result in Ranchi, anticipation is high that this match could be another high-scoring, nail-biting contest.

Probable Playing XI — What Both Teams Might Field

Here are the likely lineups, based on recent squad news, expert predictions, and what worked in the first ODI.

🇮🇳 India — Probable XI

Rohit Sharma
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Virat Kohli
Ruturaj Gaikwad
(Wicket-keeper/finisher) — either Rishabh Pant or KL Rahul (with Rahul captaining)
Ravindra Jadeja
Washington Sundar
Harshit Rana
Kuldeep Yadav
Arshdeep Singh
Prasidh Krishna

Why these picks make sense:

The batting core — Rohit, Jaiswal, Kohli — gives India a strong start.
The all-rounders (Jadeja, Sundar) + finishers provide depth and flexibility.
The pace + spin combo offers a balanced bowling attack — early seamers like Rana, Arshdeep, Krishna + spin bite via Kuldeep.

🇿🇦 South Africa — Probable XI

Aiden Markram
Quinton de Kock (Wicket-keeper)
Temba Bavuma (Captain)
Matthew Breetzke
Tony de Zorzi
Dewald Brevis
Marco Jansen (all-rounder)
Corbin Bosch
Keshav Maharaj (spin)
Nandre Burger (pace)
Lungi Ngidi (pace)

Why these picks:

The top-order and middle-order have a mix of stability and explosiveness (Markram, de Kock, Bavuma, Breetzke, de Zorzi, Brevis).
Bowling attack balances pace and spin — Ngidi & Burger with early pace/seam, Jansen providing bounce + all-round options, plus Maharaj’s spin for the middle overs.
With a deep batting lineup and multi-dimensional bowling, South Africa have resources to both set a competitive total and defend under pressure.

Key Players & Storylines to Watch

Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma — The backbone of India’s batting: if they fire again, India’s expected to post a big total.
Harshit Rana & Prasidh Krishna — Rana’s early-overs aggression could put pressure on SA’s top order; Krishna’s bounce could be lethal towards the end.
Kuldeep Yadav — On a turning pitch, his wrist-spin could be a deciding factor.
For South Africa: Marco Jansen & Lungi Ngidi — Their pace and bounce might exploit any early seam movement, especially under lights or if there’s overhead assistance.
Quinton de Kock & Matthew Breetzke — If the pitch slows or dew helps spinners less, these two could anchor South Africa’s innings.

What to Expect: Match Outlook

This second ODI could go either way — but I expect another high-scoring, hard-fought contest. Why:

The pitch seems to offer a good balance: bat first and you could get a big total; bowl first and early wickets could tilt the game.
India has the momentum after the win, and with a settled XI — experience plus all-round depth — they might try to seal the series early.
But South Africa won’t be pushovers: their batting lineup is deep and bowling has match-winners; if they get early breakthroughs, a chase could be on.