IND vs SA: 3 Indian Players For Whom This Might Be The Last ODI Series

The Indian Cricket Team is all set to play the first of the three Tests against South Africa, starting from 26^th December 2021. Virat Kohli will lead the side, while KL Rahul will assume the vice-captaincy duties for this series.

After the Test series, the focus will shift to three ODIs, which are scheduled to be held from 19^th January to 23^rd January 2021. For those of you who don’t know, Rohit Sharma has been appointed as the new captain in the ODI format, while KL Rahul will assume the vice-captaincy duties going forward.

The squad for the ODI series is yet to be announced. Some of the youngsters who are performing well in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy might get selected for the ODIs. Besides, the focus will also be on some of the senior members, who are likely to play a key role in the series. For the ones who aren’t in the best of forms, this could be their last series. Let’s take a look at three of those.

IND vs SA: 3 Indian Players For Whom This Might Be The Last ODI Series

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan is no longer in India’s scheme of things when it comes to T20 internationals and Test cricket. However, he is still the first-choice opener in ODIs. The problem is the fact that India have not played ODIs for a long time. And, a lot of young openers have done well between this period.

The recent form of Ruturaj Gaikwad will make it tough for Shikhar Dhawan to get selected in the ODI squad. And even if he makes the cut, Dhawan has to make sure he scores runs consistently throughout the series. Two bad games perhaps can end his ODI international career.

Shikhar Dhawan’s recent form doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence. In the five innings that he has batted in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, Shikhar Dhawan has only managed to score 56 runs. Things could turn ugly for him if fails to perform well in the ODIs. For him, this could well be the last ODI series of his career.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is only 31 years old right now. Cricketers usually tend to peak in their early 30s. However, it hasn’t been the case for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He has lost his pace and doesn’t swing the ball as much as he used to in the past.

India trusted in his ability and selected him for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. However, Kumar couldn’t live up to the expectations. He looked far from his best in the tournament opener against Pakistan. Under the new skipper in Rohit Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was selected in the recently concluded T20 series against New Zealand. He picked 3 wickets in 3 matches at an average of 25.o0.

With so many young pacers coming up, Bhuvneshwar Kumar might not be able to hold on to his position if continues to exhibit poor performances. The upcoming ODI series against South Africa could well be his last if he doesn’t perform well with the ball.

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya received a lot of criticism for not performing to his potential in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Due to fitness concerns, he couldn’t bowl until the last game of the tournament. Since then, Hardik Pandya has remained himself unavailable for selection. He is currently undergoing rehab in Mumbai in a bid to regain his fitness.

There are not a lot of chances that he gets picked in the ODI series against South Africa. However, if he makes the cut, the all-rounder needs to perform exceedingly well with both and the ball.

With Shardul Thakur and Venkatesh Iyer performing well, it isn’t going to be easy for Hardik Pandya to continue playing for India in white-ball cricket. Given the kind of competition there is in Indian Cricket, it won’t be surprising if the upcoming ODI series against South Africa prove out to be Hardik Pandya’s last one.