IND vs SA: 5 Players to watch out for in the second ODI

The second ODI between India and South Africa promises a different look from the first. Both teams will tweak roles, test bench strength, and try to seize momentum in a short series. Here are five players who could decide the result in Raipur, not because they’re the flashiest names, but because their recent form and skill sets directly match the match-up and conditions.

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1. Rohit Sharma

Rohit is the template for how India wants to build an ODI innings: control the powerplay, find partnerships and explode in the middle overs. Even as formats and workloads change, Rohit’s habit of turning starts into big scores and his ability to read opposition plans make him crucial. 

His recent scores and role in the top order mean South Africa must plan for long sessions against him. If Rohit times the new ball and rotates through the middle, India’s chase mechanics become far cleaner. Being ranked number one in the format, he has been in sublime touch.

2. Virat Kohli

Kohli’s return to big ODI scores has been the headline of the series so far. A commanding century in the previous match underlined that he’s still the batter teams build plans around. Beyond raw runs, Kohli’s value is psychological. 

He reads match situations, paces a chase, and accelerates at the exact moment a chase becomes possible. Expect South Africa to use varied pace and angles to unsettle him early. If Kohli gets his eye in, he’ll likely dictate where the game heads.

3. Dewald Brevis

Brevis remains the long-term headline in South African white-ball thinking. He is fearless, inventive and quick between the wickets. In limited opportunities at the top international level, he’s shown glimpses of neat timing, audacious shots and the willingness to counterattack. 

Against India’s spin duo and disciplined seamers, Brevis’s job is simple but vital. See off the new ball or, if he’s dropped into the middle, accelerate without losing wickets. When he times the ball, South Africa’s middle overs become explosive, and when he doesn’t, the chase can stall.

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4. Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep’s knack for breaking partnerships remains pivotal in India’s plans. He turned the tide in the first ODI with a four-wicket haul, showing the sort of control, loop and wrong’un that makes scoring difficult when fielded aggressively. 

In Raipur, where the surface can grip and slow as the day progresses, Kuldeep’s ability to bowl long, attacking spells and force risky strokes will be central to India choking South Africa’s middle order. Expect captains on both sides to plan around him: set attacking fields early and use match-ups to force batters into errors.

5. Marco Jansen

Jansen brings raw pace and bounce that can trouble any top order in India. He pairs pace with awkward angles and a willingness to bowl fuller, harder lines that force batters onto the back foot. Even in formats that reward hitting, Jansen’s ability to extract extra bounce and create slip chances, plus a useful lower-order hitting cameo, makes him a two-way asset. 

If he finds early rhythm with the new ball, South Africa suddenly has a direct plan to unsettle Rohit and Kohli, and to keep scoring in check during the middle overs.

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