India A vs South Africa A, 1st unofficial ODI: Preview
What's the story
India A will take on South Africa A in a three-match ODI series at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. The first unofficial ODI will be held on Thursday from 1:30pm IST onward. The series is a part of India's strategy to develop players against tough opposition such as South Africa A. The selectors have retained eight members from the squad that played Australia A in Kanpur last month.
Team composition
A look at the composition of India A
The India A squad for the series is a mix of players who have either shone in the Indian Premier League (IPL) or been consistent on the domestic circuit. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan are new additions to the team, with Tilak Varma replacing Shreyas Iyer as captain. The bowling department is led by Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep Singh, both of whom have international experience. Prasidh was part of the unofficial Tests against SA-A. Arshdeep was recently seen in the T20I series versus Australia.
Opponent's lineup
South Africa A eye momentum from previous win
The South Africa A team comes into this series on the back of a stunning chase against India A in the 2nd unofficial Test. The core group of the visiting team has also remained largely unchanged this year, with Marques Ackerman leading from the front and the Hermann brothers - Jordan and Rubin - scoring runs consistently. Lhuan-dre Pretorius has been added to their batting lineup, further strengthening it.
Venue impact
Rajkot pitch likely to favor batters
The Rajkot venue has a history of producing high-scoring pitches. With both teams boasting aggressive batters, even a score of 350 may not be enough to guarantee victory. This will be a test for the bowlers on both sides as they try to contain runs on this batting-friendly surface. As per ESPNcricinfo, the average run rate for teams batting first in Rajkot is 5.85 from 16 Men's international ODI matches.
Squads
Here are the two squads
India A Squad: Ishan Kishan (wk), Riyan Parag, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma (c), Abhishek Sharma, Ayush Badoni, Prabhsimran Singh, Manav Suthar, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Prasidh Krishna, Nishant Sindhu, Harshit Rana, Vipraj Nigam. South Africa A Squad: Jason Smith, Sinethemba Qeshile, Lhuan-dre Pretorius (wk), Marques Ackerman (c), Codi Yusuf, Jordan Hermann, Mihlali Mpongwana, Bjorn Fortuin, Nqabayomzi Peter, Delano Potgieter, Ottneil Baartman, Rubin Hermann, Tshepo Moreki, Kwena Maphaka, Rivaldo Moonsamy.
Stats
Key stats of the IND-A players in List A cricket
In 111 List A matches, Kishan has bagged 3,798 runs at 38.75 with 6 tons and 19 fifties under his belt, as per ESPNcricinfo. As many as 933 of his runs have come in ODIs for India at 42.40. Gaikwad owns 4,324 runs in List A cricket at 56.15. He has hit 16 tons and 17 fifties. Pacer Arshdeep, who owns 17 ODI wickets from 11 matches, has picked 61 scalps in List A cricket at 24.44.