IND Vs SA: Revealed: Why South Africa Is Wearing Pink Jersey In Today's Match vs India?

India and South Africa will clash in a three-match ODI series with the first ODI to be played on Sunday at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.  India last won an ODI match in Johannesburg in January 2011, defeating the Proteas by 1 run. Now under the leadership of KL Rahul, the No.1 ODI team in ICC rankings would like to end the 12-year-long wait by winning the match, starting the series on a positive note.

The first ODI between India and South Africa will be a pink ODI, which means that for this particular match, the South Africa national cricket team will wear a pink jersey instead of their traditional greens. The reason for this is the traditional Johannesburg Pink Day ODIs, where the Proteas show their support for breast cancer awareness.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has urged all the fans to actively participate in the cause by wearing pink shirts, and the revenue of the matches will be donated to support initiatives related to breast cancer. Talking about this tradition, Cricket South Africa’s CEO, Pholetsi Moseki, said, “We are delighted to once again raise awareness about breast cancer with cricket fans. To help in the fight against breast cancer, awareness alone is not enough.”

“We encourage people to be proactive and get screened. Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer among women in South Africa, but it can affect men as well. Early detection can lead to effective treatment and a positive outcome,” he added.

South Africa Has An Impeccable Record In Pink ODIs

South Africa’s national cricket team has played in 11 Pink ODIs so far and has won nine of them. Former South Africa skipper, AB de Villiers created history during the 2015 Pink ODI where he recorded the fastest-ever century in ODIs against West Indies, reaching the three-figure mark in just 31 balls. The last time India played South Africa in a pink ODI was in 2018 when the hosts won the match by five wickets.

India lost the ODI Series against South Africa in 2021 by 3-0 under KL Rahul’s leadership. This time the Men In Blue will seek revenge under the same leader who is ready to lead a young Indian side. India has called a few uncapped players for the series like Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, Sai Sudarshan, and Akash Deep. It will be interesting to see who among these make their ODI debut in the first match of the series.

Rinku Singh is likely to be included in the XI based on his phenomenal performance in T20Is since his debut. He has impressed everyone with his big hits and impeccable strike rate down the order. Apart from Rinku, we can see either Rajat Patidar or Sai Sudarshan opening the innings with Ruturaj Gaikwad. Sai Sudarshan has shown a lot of talent during the IPL 2023 and scored a brilliant 96 against CSK in the finals.

KL Rahul will be batting in the middle-order where he will be supported by the likes of Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, and Tilak Varma. While there are chances that Sanju Samson might get an opportunity in the XI. The bowling also looks crisp with the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, and Avesh Khan in the squad.