Best Combined XI: South Africa vs Netherlands ODI World Cup 2023

South Africa and Netherlands will meet in Match 15 of the 2023 ODI World Cup at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Tuesday, October 17. With the two set to lock horns from 2 PM (IST), the Proteas will look to continue their winning streak and the Dutch side will aim to open their account. It won't be an easy task for Scott Edwards's men, but they may taken confidence from Afghanistan's historic win over England. 

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Temba Bavuma and Co. are coming off the back of two massive wins. They opened their campaign with a 102-run win over Sri Lanka and then demolished five-time champions Australia by 134 runs. On the other hand, Netherlands suffered an 81-run loss to Pakistan in their opening match and a 99-run loss to New Zealand in the second. 

With an exciting encounter awaiting cricket fans in Dharamsala, let's take a look at the best combined Playing XI of South Africa and Netherlands 

Top-order: Quinton de Kock, Max O'Dowd, Rassie van der Dussen

A left-hand right-hand opening combination of Quinton de Kock and Max O'Dowd will provide brilliant powerplay for the team. O'Dowd did not fire much in the first two games, but he has the potential to go up against high-quality bowlers. On the other hand, de Kock has been in red-hot form scoring back-to-back centuries and playing a key role in South Africa's massive victories. The duo will be followed by another Proteas batter Rassie van der Dussen who has been a consistent performer in the 50-over format. The right-hander didn't score much against Australia, but his scintillating century was crucial in South Africa's record-breaking win over Sri Lanka. 

Middle-order: Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller

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There is no space for Dutch batters in the middle order as Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller cannot be replaced. The holder of the fastest century in the ODI World Cup history will come in at No. 4, followed by Klaasen and Miller. While Markram's sensible innings play a crucial role in the middle overs, the aggressive batting style of the Proteas finishers can wreak havoc on the opposition's bowling attack. 

All-rounders - Bas de Leede, Marco Jansen

Netherlands' Bas de Leede and South Africa's Marco Jansen are picked to do wonders with their all-round heroics. The two fast-bowling all-rounders are known for playing effective cameos with the bat in the dying overs. Pakistan won the match against the Netherlands but it was de Leede who won hearts with an impressive four-wicket haul and a fighting half-century. Meanwhile, Jansen had little to do with the bat in South Africa's opening match. But he picked up two wickets in the second innings. In the subsequent match against Australia, Jansen's 22-ball 26 was instrumental in their team crossing 300 total. He also grabbed two wickets while restricting the opposition to 117/10.

Bowlers - Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Kagiso Rabada 

Netherlands' Aryan Dutt is the only spinner in the side, but he will get assistance from Aiden Markram with a few handy overs in the middle phase. The pace attack will be led by Proteas star Kagiso Rabada. Along with him, Logan van Beek, Jansen and de Leede will have fun troubling the opposition. Rabada has taken five wickets in two matches so far, while Dutt and van Beek have bagged three and one wicket, respectively.