Last Updated on 4 months ago by Charbel Coorey

A vintage Virat Kohli masterclass and stunning South African lower order fightback headlined a thrilling first ODI in Ranchi, setting the stage for what promises to be a fascinating contest in Raipur on Wednesday.

Kohli, along with Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, led the way as India posted 349/8 in nice batting conditions. India’s powerplay bowling followed suit perfectly, and when the Proteas fell to 11/3, it seemed a huge win was only a matter of time. Harshit Rana in particular was excellent early on.

However, South Africa’s long batting lineup proved its worth again, and it’s something India will have to contend with today. Marco Jansen (70 off 39) and Corbin Bosch (67 off 51) were simply outstanding, swinging the momentum and leaving India extremely worried.

To level the series, South Africa will be after a better showing from their top order. If they set a platform, their middle order can power them to a big total. The same applies for India, with their two stalwarts in good touch.

IND vs SA 2025 2nd ODI 2025 Possible Playing XIs

India could stick with the same XI that prevailed by 17 runs in the first ODI.

India: 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2. Rohit Sharma, 3. Virat Kohli, 4. Ruturaj Gaikwad, 5. Washington Sundar, 6. KL Rahul (c & wk), 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. Harshit Rana, 9. Arshdeep Singh, 10. Kuldeep Yadav, 11. Prasidh Krishna

According to Indian Express, Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj could return in this match.

South Africa: 1. Ryan Rickelton, 2. Quinton de Kock (wk), 3. Temba Bavuma (c), 4. Aiden Markram, 5. Matthew Breetzke, 6. Dewald Brevis, 7. Marco Jansen, 8. Corbin Bosch, 9. Keshav Maharaj, 10. Nandre Burger, 11. Ottneil Baartman/Lungi Ngidi

Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur Pitch Report and Weather

Raipur will host its second ODI today. The first was back in 2023, where India thrashed New Zealand by eight wickets with a whopping 179 balls to spare. The Black Caps were reduced to 15/5 on a surface offering assistance for the seamers. They were eventually bowled out for 108.

There have been two Ranji Trophy matches on this ground this season. Jammu & Kashmir and Chhattisgarh played out a 394 vs. 505/9d draw in early November. Chhattisgarh beat Puducherry by 10 wickets a week later after scoring 377 in the first innings.

A clear day is forecast with a top of 27 degrees. Dew is possible under lights, so bowling first is likely to be preferred.

IND vs SA 2nd ODI 2025 Fantasy Cricket Tips: Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Top wicket-keeper picks:

• Since the start of 2023, KL Rahul has struck 1,392 ODI runs at an average of 55.7 and strike rate of 89.8. His 60 in the first match is the kind of innings he has produced on a regular basis in this format.
• Quinton de Kock missed out in the opening match, but he is a stalwart of the ODI format. Six of his 22 hundreds have come against India, whom he averages 51.28 against with 1,077 runs.

Key batter picks:

• How can we ignore Virat Kohli? He found form in the third ODI against Australia and followed it up with a glorious 120-ball 135 in Ranchi. Kohli averages a magnificent 68.29 in 30 innings against the Proteas.
• Rohit Sharma has three consecutive 50+ scores in ODIs: 73, 121*, 57.
• Matthew Breetzke is quickly becoming one of the stars of ODI cricket. He has struck six 50+ scores in just 10 matches, with a total of 614 runs at 68.22.

Top all-rounder picks:

• Marco Jansen is in the form of his life. He is taking wickets, has a good matchup against Yashasvi Jaiswal and is middling just about everything with the bat. The all-rounder is a genuine captain/vice-captain option after scoring a massive 213 Dream11 points in the opening ODI.
• Corbin Bosch can also fetch plenty of points in all three facets. He fields in the hotspot positions, bowls at the death and can hit a long ball. He notched up a huge 211 Dream11 points in Ranchi.

Key bowler picks:

• Kuldeep Yadav is almost always in the wickets. Since the start of 2023, the spinner has picked up 67 wickets at an average of 22.9 and economy of 4.63.
• Nandre Burger looked in excellent rhythm in the opening ODI. He dismissed Jaiswal and had Rohit dropped early. Burger will fancy his matchup with Jaiswal again given the India opener has been out seven times in 17 innings against left-arm seam across formats this year.

Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• If Temba Bavuma plays, South Africa will likely field just two left-handers in their top seven. Harshit Rana enjoys bowling to left-handers, with an ODI average of 14.9 against them this year. He averages 26.3 against right-handers.
• Can Yashasvi Jaiswal find his best form? He opens the batting and can go big on his day, making him a worthwhile pick in fantasy cricket.
• Dewald Brevis is an excellent spin-hitter and looked in promising touch in the first ODI. Can he build on his 28-ball 37?
• Aiden Markram averages 40.17 when he isn’t the captain in ODIs (64 innings), compared to just 23.13 as captain (16 innings).
• Arshdeep Singh bowls in the crunch overs and enjoys matchups with left-handers. He has 12 wickets in four ODIs against South Africa at an average of 13.25.
• South Africa are expected to field mostly right-handers, which brings Ravindra Jadeja into the contest.

Other Stats and Important Matchups

• India have won four of the past five ODIs against South Africa.
• Arshdeep Singh has dismissed Quinton de Kock four times in 39 balls in all T20s. Will this crossover into the ODI format?
• Yashasvi Jaiswal has been dismissed seven times by left-arm seam in 17 innings across Tests, ODIs and T20s this year. Getting through the Jansen and Burger matchups will be key.
• Kuldeep Yadav averages an impressive 16.58 in 14 ODIs against South Africa.

IND vs SA 2nd ODI 2025 Dream11 Prediction Today

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams. 

Option 1:

Option 2:

IND vs SA 2nd ODI 2025 Match Prediction: Who will win?

This shapes up as another close contest. My pick is the chasing team will prevail with the win.

Disclaimer: The fantasy cricket stats, tips and predictions provided on CricBlog are intended for informational purposes for Dream11 free contests in line with the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. The stats and writer’s views are in place to guide fans in creating their teams. While we strive to offer accurate and insightful advice, CricBlog does not guarantee success or winnings in any fantasy contests. Users are encouraged to make their own informed decisions and play responsibly.

All statistics and matchups in this article have been verified by ESPNcricinfo and Cricmetric.