India's Predicted XI vs South Africa, ICC World Cup 2023: Will Ravichandran Ashwin Remain On The Bench?

India will square off against South Africa in their next match of the Cricket World Cup 2023 on Sunday, November 5. The top-of-the-table clash will be staged at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, with a scheduled start time of 2:00 PM IST. India have been the most dominant nation in the ongoing competition, winning each of their seven matches so far. Their latest victory came against Sri Lanka by a massive margin of 302 runs.

Batting first, a trio of fifties by Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer propelled India to a daunting total of 357/8. Thereafter, the pacers, led by Mohammad Shami's five-for, dismantled the Lankans as they were bundled out for a mere 55 runs on the scoreboard in what was a repeat of the Asia Cup 2023 summit clash.

Ahead of their match against in-form South Africa, Team India are likely to go in with the same starting line-up.

Openers: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill

Captain Rohit Sharma has led by example in the Cricket World Cup 2023 with a flurry of whirlwind knocks. With the help of one ton and two half-centuries, the Hitman has amassed 402 runs in seven innings at an average of 57.42 and a strike rate of 119.64, which is the best among the leading run-getters.

The young Shubman Gill, who missed the initial two matches due to dengue, has been in decent form since. He has notched 196 runs in five matches, including two 50-plus scores. The 24-year-old will look to capitalise on his 92-run knock against Sri Lanka and give India a solid foundation versus the Proteas.

Middle-order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav

With one century and four half-centuries in seven games, Virat Kohli is India's top run-scorer in the tournament. Moreover, the right-handed batter's record of eight fifties and four tons in 30 ODIs against South Africa puts him in good stead ahead of the upcoming match.

Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer got a much-needed boost in confidence with his 56-ball 82 in the last match against Sri Lanka. With conditions at Eden Gardens known to favour the batters, Iyer will be focused on replicating his success when he faces the Temba Bavuma-led side.

KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav, who come in at no. 5 and no. 6 respectively, have been in contrasting forms so far. While the wicket-keeper batter has played his role of adding crucial runs down the order to perfection, SKY is yet to make the most of his limited opportunities, with just 63 runs in three matches.

All-rounder: Ravindra Jadeja

Arguably India's best player in the fielding department, Ravindra Jadeja has managed to spin his web on the opposition's batting line-up with nine wickets at an economy of 3.78, which is second-best in this year's competition. His ability to control the flow of runs and make vital breakthroughs in the middle overs will be on display once again in the upcoming match.

Bowlers: Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj

Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have bowled in tandem in the powerplay overs, being instrumental in consistently providing early success for their team in the Cricket World Cup 2023. The World no. 1 ODI side will bank on the duo to get the better of South Africa's top-order, who have been lethal against every bowling attack they have faced so far.

On the other hand, Mohammad Shami has claimed a staggering 14 wickets in just three matches while keeping the run rate in check. His figures read 5/54 (vs New Zealand), 4/22 (vs England) and 5/18 (vs Sri Lanka), indicating his sheer brilliance with the ball.

Kuldeep Yadav completes the bowling roster, having taken 10 wickets in seven matches at an economy of 4.40. Furthermore, the southpaw certainly enjoys a match-up against South Africa, with 24 wickets in 10 ODIs to show for it.

India Predicted Playing XI

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli Jasprit Bumrah Mohammed Shami Ravichandran Ashwin World Cup 2023 India vs South Africa, Match 37 Cricket