KL Rahul playfully credited a commentator for India’s toss win within the third ODI towards South Africa, calling him the staff’s “lucky charm” after ending a protracted dropping streak on the toss. The lighthearted second shortly drew consideration as India lastly loved some luck earlier than the sequence finale.
India’s captain KL Rahul gained the toss and selected to bowl towards South Africa within the third and remaining ODI held in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, breaking a 20-match dropping streak in tosses. The final time India triumphed in a toss throughout an ODI was within the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-final towards New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Rahul, nonetheless, attributed the toss victory to former Indian spinner Murali Kartik, as luck lastly favored the staff. During the toss on Saturday, Kartik reminded Rahul that he was current when India final gained a toss in worldwide cricket earlier than this match.
Toss #StaffIndia have gained the toss and elected to discipline first.
Updates https://t.co/HM6zm9o7bm#INDvSA | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/vYNPSa1iKF
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 6, 2025
“Is it me or is it you?” Kartik questioned Rahul.
“It’s you. I think you should do more tosses,” Rahul acknowledged.
“I suppose so because the last time when Shubman Gill won it, I was the toss presenter,” the previous left-arm spinner added.
The occasion Kartik referenced was when Shubman Gill gained the toss within the 2nd Test towards the West Indies in Delhi earlier this yr.
This marked his first and solely toss win as the captain of the Indian Test staff, having misplaced the earlier six Tests he led.
With the sequence stage at 1-1, India made one adjustment to the lineup that misplaced the second ODI in Raipur, bringing in Tilak Varma to switch all-rounder Washington Sundar.
South Africa, going through accidents to key gamers Nandre Burger and Tony de Zorzi, have included Ryan Rickelton and Ottneil Baartman as their replacements.
Burger and de Zorzi are sidelined for a few weeks. Burger felt discomfort in his proper hamstring over the past match, whereas de Zorzi skilled ache in the identical space whereas batting.
Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna
South Africa: Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock(w), Temba Bavuma(c), Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman
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