IND vs SA - Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Garners Praise For Elevating Dressing Room Morale: 'Their Importance At Any Point Is Huge'

India vs South Africa: KL Rahul-led Team India will lock horns with Temba Bavuma's South Africa in the upcoming first ODI match of the series, at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi, on Sunday, November 30.

Team India are coming into this three-match ODI series after conceding a 2-0 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series.

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The upcoming first ODI match between India and South Africa will create a lot of excitement among Indian fans as this is the first time in 10 months, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be playing an international match on home soil. The last time Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma played an international match was against England in the ODI series in February 2025.

On October 25, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli played their last ODI match, which was against Australia in Sydney, where the Indian batters played a stupendous knock and helped the Men in Blue clinch a nine-wicket win over the Aussies.

In the forthcoming ODI series between India and South Africa, KL Rahul will be leading the Men in Blue after Shubman Gill has been ruled out due to a neck injury.

KL Rahul Heaps Praise On Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

While speaking at the pre-match press conference, KL Rahul showered praise on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, saying that they lift the dressing room's morale.

"Their importance in any point is huge. They make the dressing room feel a lot more confident. Winning is the most important thing. We are trying to forget what happened a week ago," KL Rahul told reporters.

KL Rahul revealed that the Indian cricketers often talk to Virat Kohli about how to improve. The stand-in captain heaped praise on Virat Kohli, calling him the 'master' of ODI cricket.

“Taking singles is as important as hitting boundaries. That’s something Virat has done so well in his career. In the dressing room, we talk with him about how to improve. He is the master of ODI cricket. Good to have him back in the dressing room,” he added.

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Rohit, Virat's Numbers In ODIs

Rohit Sharma made his ODI debut in 2007 against Ireland at Belfast. In the ODIs, the 38-year-old played 276 matches and 268 innings, scoring 11370 runs at a strike rate of 92.66 and an average of 49.22.

On the other hand, Virat Kohli made his ODI debut in 2008 against Sri Lanka at Dambulla. In the 50-over format, Kohli played 305 matches and 293 innings, amassing 14255 runs at an average of 57.71 and a strike rate of 93.26.