Ahead of the three-match series kicking off in Dharamsala on Thursday, The Cricketer looks at who's in form and challenging for a spot in our joint team
There are just seven men who have captained, kept wicket and opened the batting in the same ODI match, and should Quinton de Kock do so in all three matches of this series then he will be just one game shy of matching Andy Flower's tally of 12, which trails only Alec Stewart and Adam Gilchrist.
Since taking on the South Africa captaincy across formats earlier this year, all signs are that he is adapting well to the increased responsibility – his average wearing all three hats now stands at 38.12, bettered only by one knock of 61 from Tillekaratne Dilshan – but for our combined XI we have gone elsewhere with the coin toss and field marshalling responsibilities to allow the 27-year-old to focus on his two most familiar skillsets.
Against India de Kock has continually proven to be no slouch, notching five centuries in 13 matches, including a rare hat-trick of tons during a home series in 2013. In the country, his average rises up from 44.65 to 63.60 – his best in any ODI nation – and as India's openers scramble for form and their places, the composure and consistency of the Proteas' new leader will be key as they seek the early advantage.
While India came away winless from their ODI encounters in New Zealand, one more dilemma of the post-Dhoni era seemed to be solving itself as KL Rahul continued to establish himself as a viable middle-order wicketkeeper-batsman with scores of 112 and 88 not out from the No.5 spot. Brian Lara even identified the 27-year-old as his "favourite player in the world" while speaking to ESPNcricinfo.
With regular top-order phenomenon Rohit Sharma again missing out on selection while recuperating from a calf tear suffered against the Blackcaps, and with our XI already boasting a more regular gloveman in South Africa's de Kock, Rahul returns to the top of the order in our selection, where he has previously averaged 50.50 with three centuries in his 18 ODI appearances.
Should India prefer to keep Rahul steady in the middle, however, even with Sharma's injury there is good news in the shape of a return to action for Shikhar Dhawan after the latest in a string of injury setbacks.
Much has been said about Virat Kohli's sub-par return on his recent tour of New Zealand, but a break of almost two whole weeks is an eternity in India's schedule and the skipper boasts a freakish home record that will surely encourage the tide to turn as his side lines up against South Africa.
Kohli's ODI average in India sits at 60.81 heading into the Dharamsala fixture, with more than 40 scores of 50 or more on home turf since his debut in 2008. More recently, this season's home outings in the format have included scores of 78, 85 and 89, along with skippering India to four wins from six and series wins over Australia and the West Indies.
Our XI has no shortage of captaincy experience, with Rahul having deputised for Kohli and Sharma at points of the New Zealand tour and new all-format Proteas leader de Kock opening the innings, but a player as prolific and experienced as Kohli cannot not lead any composite XI between these squads.
Glovemen Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul unite to open the innings in our XI
Since it became clear after South Africa's 3-1 Test series loss to England in January that du Plessis' tenure as skipper did not have much time at all left to run, Mark Boucher's plentiful string of white-ball squad selections have seen him yo-yo in and out of contention to an almost ludicrous extent.
The latest update is that he will be taking part in this tour, thereby making it his first outing in ODI cricket since making a fine century during South Africa's consolation win over Australia after getting dumped out of the World Cup in July. Just the one List A outing has been played between that game and these, in which he contributed 11 runs from 17 deliveries in a total of 331 that his Titans side remarkably failed to defend.
But, even though it may be clear that the 35-year-old is not likely part of South Africa's plans beyond the next 12 months or so, to be able field a player of his class as an anchor in a young, developing and ever-changing side against a team as traditionally strong as India is an opportunity too attractive to pass up.
An outing on this tour would be his first in the format sans captaincy since June 2017, and Boucher will be hoping for a repeat of the century du Plessis struck in a total of 438 last time the teams met for an ODI on Indian soil.
South Africa's 3-0 sweep of Australia last time out was the first series they had won in any format in just under a year, and it was in no small part the rebirth of the 28-year-old Titans gloveman after two years floating around the fringes of the international setup that fired the side to that milestone.
Klaasen took to the crease in Paarl having averaged single figures across his two most recent ODI series – the latest being against Pakistan just over a year prior.
By the time he left it, there was an unbeaten maiden international century to his name; two matches and two more half-centuries later, the player of the series is a certainty to appear in South Africa's ever-changing ODI lineup for the forseeable future as they transition away from their long-serving veteran core.
The India star has played just a brace of T20 clashes since India's World Cup exit, with this series marking his return to official action after more than five months out following surgery on his back. Nevertheless, Pandya's capabilities as a vital allround cog on his day entirely worthy of selection solely for either batting or bowling duties see him narrowly edge out the late hitting talents of David Miller.
Strangely, the 26-year-old has not played any ODI cricket at home since the tail end of 2017, his first full year in India's white-ball setup, and his sub-par record in the format against South Africa is highlighted by 2-30 in Port Elizabeth two years ago and an unbeaten score of 15 in the 2019 World Cup.
However, his return to the squad comes not only with this three-game series in mind, but also the need to catch up with performances ahead of the start of the IPL and October's T20 World Cup in Australia. With stiff competition nipping at his heels in the allround department, including from brother Krunal, he will have to hope pressure brings out the best in him as he looks to make up for lost time.
Hardik Pandya makes our XI ahead of his first official fixtures following surgery on his lower back
Always making a case to be one of the first names on any Indian teamsheet even into his 12th year as an international cricketer, Jadeja was India's most economical bowler throughout last month's miserable ODI series defeat at the hands of New Zealand and he now boasts more wickets in the format since the team's World Cup exit in July than any of his countrymen bar Mohammed Shami, who misses out on this clash with a shoulder injury picked up in recent Test action.
With one spinner from each country making it into our final combined XI, Jadeja edges out specialist teammates Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal thanks to his vital late-order batting contributions, which could prove all the more important as Pandya returns to action after a long layoff and with little competitive action to demonstrate his fitness for full-on 50-over action.
The 30-year-old's name may be one found regularly across South Africa's Test teamsheets – though the less said about his and their last trip to India the better – but a trio of recent ODI outings against Australia were his first in Proteas colours in over 18 months.
Maharaj's recall followed a highly productive and efficient start to domestic One Day Cup action, where his tally of 16 wickets for the Dolphins franchise remains joint-best in the league despite playing no part in either of their last two fixtures courtesy of international duty.
More impressive still is that these scalps have come at an economy of 3.79 (second in the league) and average of 14.68 (fourth) even with his role often involving taking the new ball.
Though the three ODIs brought just one Marnus Labuschagne wicket at 146 across 30 overs, the left-armer continued his miserly stretch by going at a dash under five per over, and he will be all the more important to his side in India with southpaw wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi missing out on the series following the birth of his first child.
There appears to have been no shortage of injury setbacks for India and particularly its seam department across recent months, with Mohammed Shami the latest player to be sidelined from frontline duty. However, the return of Kumar after three months out with a sports hernia is sure to provide a huge boost to the homecoming party of Virat Kohli's squad.
Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur are among those who have become more familiar presences in India's white-ball plans during Kumar's layoff, but with Chahar himself now injured and Thakur one of three players dropped from the squad after the New Zealand trip, Kumar looks set to spearhead the home attack alongside Jasprit Bumrah once again.
In ODI action, 2019 was the paceman's most productive calendar year with the ball yet – 33 wickets at 23.75 saw him finish five clear of his returns from 2013 and 2017, and with an average more than 10 runs better than each of those campaigns – and a series against a South Africa batting lineup very much in its formative stages will provide him a fine opportunity to better his career average of 43.09 in ODIs on home turf.
Lungi Ngidi is fresh off hitting Australia with career-best ODI figures
The list of South African players to claim six wickets in a single ODI is highly illustrious – think Donald, Ntini, Pollock, Rabada, Ismail, Steyn and Klusener – and a remarkable addition to that list from Lungi Ngidi in Bloemfontein not only saw the hosts skittle Australia for a sub-par 271 but also secure a famous series victory.
Before his campaign was cruelly cut short by a hamstring problem, Ngidi's variations and top-and-tail expertise provided a rare glimmer of hope during an otherwise largely dismal World Cup effort last summer.
A similar setback ensured he also missed the entire Test series with England to start 2020, but the 23-year-old has been making up for lost time at a great pace since returning to action in February.
The six-for brought his calendar year tally to 25 scalps in 10 outings, including back-to-back-to-back three-wicket hauls against England and 12 victims at 16.08 in four ODI clashes.
This series will be just his second time in India on international duty – he was South Africa's only wicketless bowler during October's Ranchi Test, though the match was an unceremonious innings defeat – and with the Proteas minus the injured Kagiso Rabada for this trip, continuation of his home form will be imperative for continued success.
Two months into his comeback from a back injury, Jasprit Bumrah still seems to be something short of his best.
Last month's ODI whitewash at the hands of New Zealand was the first time ever he had bowled more than five overs in a series and not picked up a single wicket – 0-167 was his final return from 30 overs that he will hope can soon be forgotten, and 6-190 in the subsequent Test series was far from befitting of a man of his ability. The dismal return even saw him knocked off the top spot in the ICC's bowling rankings.
On the other hand, even among Bumrah's prolific career, his ODI record against South Africa is particularly impressive, with 12 wickets in eight meetings including at least one per game, and an economy rate sitting underneath the four per over marker.
This will be the first time he has played Quinton de Kock and co. in home conditions, where his career record is remarkably average compared to what he has achieved away from home, but it would take a brave man to bet against the 26-year-old showing something altogether more potent as this series gets under way in Dharamsala.
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