India won the three-match ODI series against South Africa 2-1, and in the press conference, we listened to Gambhir talks on World Cup 2027. This was a must-win match for India to win as the series, as they had already lost the test series on Indian soil after 25 years. Gambhir’s boys kept calm and helped their team win the series, and Virat was the standout performer, scoring two hundreds and a fifty in the series.
Basically, India won the first ODI match by 17 runs in Ranchi and took a 1-0 lead in the series. South Africa made a comeback in the second ODI at Raipur and won that match by four wickets, making the series interesting at 1-1 after two matches. It was a must-win match for India, and finally, after two years and more than 20 matches, India won the toss. India won the third ODI by nine wickets as Yashvi Jaiswal got his first ODI century.
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“It’s also important that young boys coming into the set-up are grabbing their opportunities,” Gambhir talks about the World Cup 2027
While Virat Kohli was the Player of the Series as India won the ODI series against South Africa, two other players, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal, also impressed with individual hundreds. Ruturaj made 105 off 83 in the second game in Raipur, while Yashavi in the series decider with an unbeaten 116 and got the Player of the Match award in the final. The surprise factor here is that neither is a regular ODI player for India, with both getting a chance because Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer missed out owing to different injuries.
Look, first we have got to realise that ODI World Cup is two years away from now. The most important think is to stay in the present.
“It’s also important that young boys coming into the set-up are grabbing their opportunities. Someone like Ruturaj Gaikwad, who batted out of position. He is a quality player, we all know. We wanted to give him an opportunity in this series for the kind of form he was in with India A. He actually grabbed that opportunity with both hands, getting a hundred in the second game, when we were under pressure. We were 40 for 2 and then getting that kind of hundred was proper quality
Gambhir started by speaking about the World Cup, as he said that it is two years from now. He believes that we should stay in the present. Gambhir also believes that the young players who are given a chance should grab the oppournities and get the best out of it. Ruturaj Gaikwad was given a chance in this series, and he was played out of position. He did the best and also scored a century in the 2nd ODI.
Now India has a five-match T20I series with South Africa, which will start from tomorrow. Virat and Rohit will not be part of the Indian team. Both players will return in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, which will start on the 11th of December.