Sticking to the basics and drawing from a larger talent pool, fighting for limited spots in the team has led to South Africa's resurgence across formats in the past couple years, according to pacer Anrich Nortje.
Architect of South Africa's series-levelling win in the second ODI against India here, Aiden Markram says scoring runs matters only when the team wins and he felt responsible for the visitors' defeat in the first ODI by a small margin.
India A skipper Rishabh Pant will look to build on the gains from the first match, while the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav will aim for crucial red-ball game time in the second four-day match against a Temba Bavuma-led South Africa A in Bengaluru from Thursday.
South Africa A humble India A by 73 runs to avoid series whitewash
Walter, who took charge in March 2023, has played an instrumental role in South Africa's recent successes on the global stage.
Namibia pulled off a shock four-wicket win over South Africa in a one-off Twenty20 international on Saturday that marked the opening of the new cricket stadium in Windhoek.
The Proteas arrive high on confidence, having fought out a hard-earned 1-1 draw in Pakistan last month under challenging conditions.
New Zealand vs Pakistan women's WC game abandoned due to rain, SA qualify for semis
Heinrich Klaasen, 33, is one of the world's most destructive batters in white-ball cricket and a mainstay of the South African limited-overs side in recent years.
Debutants Afghanistan will aim to continue their impressive rise in white-ball cricket, while South Africa will once again attempt to shed the 'chokers' tag when the two sides kick-off their Champions Trophy campaign in Karachi on Friday.
J P Duminy, who joined the Proteas side as their batting coach in March last year, left his role with immediate effect following a mutual agreement, said the country's cricket governing body (CSA).
Seniors Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah are set to make a comeback to Pakistan's ODI team for the tour of South Africa.
India has never won a Test series in South Africa and the two Test series, which begins on Boxing Day, December 26, at the SuperSport Park cricket stadium in Centurion, is the last frontier to be overcome for Rohit and his contemporaries Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammad Shami.
Shaheen Afridi also missed the last two Tests against England in October.
The focus is to bring momentum back into the Indian dressing room: Morne Morkel
Namibia all-rounder Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton believes that pressure will be on defending champions India on their home turf and that his team has nothing to lose in their T20 World Cup match in New Delhi on Thursday.
Having forfeited that series, South Africa have yet to seal their place at the World Cup in October but will do so if Ireland fail to complete a clean-sweep of their three-match series against Bangladesh, which starts in Chelmsford next week.
The 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka could be the last for several senior stars. From Glenn Maxwell to Mohammad Nabi, here are veterans who may be playing their final T20 WC.
A struggling, but promising South African unit will be aiming to avenge the heartbreak of 2024 by securing the grandest prize in T20I cricket on Indian soil, with the Proteas' 'Gen-Next' of Dewald Brevis, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Kwena Maphaka in the spotlight.
The left-handed batter acknowledged that pressure of international cricket is way more intense than a league.
Shubman Gill was ruled out of the second Test against South Africa and the recently concluded three-match ODI series due to a neck injury.
Steyn, however, said his team had "exceeded expectations" on their tour of India.
Six different teams have lifted the trophy over the years, with the West Indies, England and reigning champions India the only nations to have won it twice.
South Africa unveils T20 World Cup 2026 squad; Markram named captain
Quinton de Kock seems to have found another gear since his return to cricket and the South African attributed the new-found freedom in his batting to a mind without any 'baggage'.
South African pace legend Allan Donald perceived that Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket a touch sooner, but said the star Indian batter has the hunger to keep himself going till the 2027 ODI World Cup.
'In India, it is our tradition that if the team plays well, everyone is quiet, but as soon as the team plays poorly, we get on top of the coach.'
The Indian men ruled white-ball cricket, while South Africa ended decades of hurt by winning the World Test Championship at Lord's. Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted their maiden IPL title, though the celebrations were dimmed by a deadly stampede. Above all, it was India's women who won a billion hearts by finally adding an ICC World Cup trophy to the cabinet.
Former players Irfan Pathan and Venkatesh Prasad have questioned the Indian team's muddled approach, lack of stability and the increasing reliance on all-rounders.
K L Rahul takes over the captaincy after regular skipper Shubman Gill missed the series because of a neck injury.
India will look to address several lingering selection puzzles when they take on South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday in the first ODI of the three-match series, where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to the set-up for a short audition that could well shape their 2027 World Cup fate.
The 28-year-old, who was ruled out of Vijay Hazare Trophy because of a split webbing in his right hand, has been picked for touring India 'A' squad to South Africa.
Virat Kohli moved up to No. 4 in the latest ICC rankings with a match-winning hundred against South Africa in the first ODI at Ranchi boosting his ascend.
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill is "ready to start" ahead of the first T20I against South Africa of the five-match series, which will take place on December 9.
This is the most open T20 World Cup in history. The traditional powers are compromised. The new powers have gained strength, observes Faisal Shariff.
India will be bolstered by the return of former captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - both of whom have retired from Test cricket - adding more depth and experience to the side.
This was the first time in the history of SA cricket a senior team had reached the final of a World Cup.
The players were cheered by fans at the airport and obliged supporters with selfies.
England will be heading into the T20 World Cup with a massive confidence boost following a series win across both white-ball formats in Sri Lanka under captaincy of young Harry Brook, who has switched his side's fortunes since taking over.
S Africa select young guns Brevis, Pretorius for Australia tour
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