India is known for producing top-notch batsmen who are successful all over the world. As a result, it’s no wonder that Indians hold many of the game’s batting records. For most Indian players, the ICC ranking system has also proved prohibitively expensive. This is primarily owing to their long-term consistency. Following the end of the ongoing third Test in Cape Town, India and South Africa will play a three-match ODI series. The ODI series between India and South Africa is the first for both teams in the new year, and both teams will be playing a lot of cricket during the rest of the year. The first and second One-Day Internationals will be played at Boland Park in Paarl on January 19 and 21. The third One-Day International will be held on January 23 at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town.

The BCCI has named an Indian squad of 18 players, with a solid balance of youth and experienced players. Rohit Sharma, the new white-ball skipper, has been ruled out of the series after failing to recover from a hamstring injury in time. In his absence, KL Rahul will lead the series.

Meanwhile, we’ll look at the finest Indian batsmen who can make an impact in the series in this piece.

Virat Kohli

According to the ICC ranking, Virat Kohli is the finest Indian batsman of all time in Tests. In the history of the game, only ten batsmen have amassed more ICC points than Virat.Virat’s batting performance peaked in 2016, 2017, and 2018. He made his name as a limited-overs cricketer before becoming a top-class Test cricketer during these years. Despite being the team’s captain, he scored over 1000 runs in those years. During that time, the right-hander had a string of double-century innings. As a result, in 2018 he scored 937 points. Former Indian ODI and T20I captain Virat Kohli is regarded as one of the top batsmen in the modern game across all forms. In Otis, he has more than 13000 runs, 43 hundreds, and 62 fifties. He scored 79 in his first innings of 2022, and the elusive 44th ODI century appears to be within reach. It will be his 71st century on the world stage.

Cheteshwar Pujara

India is ranked third in the world. Cheteshwar Pujara is in South Africa for the fourth time, and this time he will have the added responsibility of being India’s most seasoned batter. Pujara has played 14 matches against South Africa, seven of which have taken place in South Africa, and the top order batters are expected to put in a great effort. When it comes to scoring runs versus South Africa, Pujara is now second only to Virat Kohli from the current squad.

Pujara has 758 runs under his belt, but his average is close to 33, which may be a concern for him. However, the 33-year-old will have the valuable experience of playing in South African conditions under his belt when he takes the field this time.

KL Rahul

Rahul is the Indian team’s second-best batsman. He is now India’s most in-form batsman, having struck the lone century in the Test series thus far. He has a wonderful capacity to switch gears from one format to the other, something Indian fans would be hoping to see. Despite Kohli’s presence in the squad, he was not given the captaincy, indicating that the management sees him as a long-term captaincy possibility in the future. So far, the Karnataka captain has scored 1509 runs in 38 ODIs, including five hundreds. In the three games, he will begin the batting with Shikhar Dhawan.

Ravichandran Aswin

After an outstanding season with the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League in 2010, Ashwin rose to prominence. His ability to flourish in pressure circumstances and bowl with variation drew the attention of the selectors, who envisioned him as a future India lead spinner. Though Ashwin began his career as a top-order batsman for Tamil Nadu, he quickly became a domestic wicket-taker. In 2010, he put on the Indian jersey and stunned the best in the game with his skill and versatility with the ball. In fact, the 35-year-old is improving with the bat, offering the ideal buffer for India’s middle order, which is now vulnerable. With the bat, Ashwin has been a revelation in recent years, and he also has a respectable record against South Africa in Test cricket. Ashwin has a total of 224 runs versus the Proteas in ten encounters, which will be a significant advantage for India in the next series. To go with his mastery of spin bowling, Ashwin is a good batting option in South Africa, with a fifty and runs at an average of over 22. With the bat, Ashwin will undoubtedly be an important player for Virat Kohli, but he may also be required to put in some strong performances with the ball.

Mayank Agarwal

Mayank has only played three Tests against South Africa, but the beating he delivered the Protea bowlers in the 2019 series in India will serve as the perfect confidence boost for him when he enters the field for the first time on December 26 in Centurion.

Mayank has 340 runs to his name and is now ranked fourth among India’s highest run scorers against South Africa in the current squad. In the longest format, the Karnataka batsman has two hundreds, including a ‘daddy hundred’ (215), and averages an incredible 85.00 versus South Africa.