KL Rahul Reflects on India's ODI Loss to South Africa: Key Takeaways

In a recent ODI match, Indian captain KL Rahul shared his thoughts on the team's defeat against South Africa, attributing the loss to dew conditions and fielding errors. Despite impressive centuries from Ruturaj Gaikwad and Virat Kohli, South Africa successfully chased down a challenging target. Rahul's insights on batting order decisions and the importance of the toss provide a deeper understanding of the match dynamics. As the teams prepare for a decisive game in Visakhapatnam, fans are eager to see how India will respond.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 4, 2025, 01:53 IST

KL Rahul Analyzes Defeat Against South Africa

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], December 3: After India's defeat to South Africa in the second ODI, captain KL Rahul attributed the loss to the challenging dew conditions during the second innings and the impact of losing the toss.

He emphasized that the team's fielding performance fell short, leading to several 'soft runs' being conceded.

Aiden Markram's impressive century, along with solid fifties from Dewald Brevis and Matthew Breetzke, overshadowed the centuries scored by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Virat Kohli, as the Proteas successfully chased down 359 runs in Raipur, setting the stage for a thrilling series decider in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. India's fielding lapses, particularly the dropped catch of Markram by Yashasvi Jaiswal and additional runs given away by Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna, proved costly in what could have been a commanding series lead.

In the post-match presentation, KL Rahul expressed, 'I'm not really upset about the loss. The dew made it tough to bowl in the second innings, and the umpires were kind enough to change the ball. Losing the toss was significant, and I regret that. We could have improved in several areas. While 350 is a good score, we discussed in the dressing room how we could have added an extra 20-25 runs for the bowlers, and we also let a few easy runs slip in the field.'

He praised the batting performances of Ruturaj and Virat, describing their centuries as 'beautiful to watch.'

Rahul noted, 'Ruturaj's approach against the spinners and the tempo he maintained contributed significantly to our total. The lower order could have added more runs.'

He also shared that he was initially set to bat at number six but opted to come in at number five after a solid start from Virat and Ruturaj, a position where he has historically excelled with an average exceeding 59 and a strike rate above 98.

'Today was the first time I was slotted at six but walked in at five. With the tempo set by Virat and Ruturaj, I felt confident after my fifty in the last game, so it made sense to come in at number five,' he concluded.

In the Raipur ODI, India batted first after being put in by the Proteas, who quickly had the hosts at 62/2 following the dismissals of Rohit Sharma (14) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (22). Virat (102 off 93 balls, including seven fours and two sixes) and Ruturaj (105 off 83 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes) formed a formidable 195-run partnership for the third wicket, putting India in a strong position. KL Rahul (66* off 43 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) and Ravindra Jadeja (24* off 27 balls, with two fours) added a brisk 69-run partnership for the sixth wicket to finish the innings on a high note.

Marco Jansen (2/63) was the standout bowler for South Africa.

The Proteas began their chase aggressively but lost Quinton de Kock early. However, skipper Temba Bavuma (46 off 48 balls, with three fours and a six) and Markram built a crucial 101-run partnership. Markram scored his fourth ODI century and first as an opener, finishing with 110 off 98 balls, including 10 fours and four sixes.

A pivotal 92-run partnership between Matthew Breetzke (68 off 64 balls, with five fours) and Dewald Brevis (54 off 34 balls, with one four and five sixes) shifted the momentum in favor of the Proteas. Despite injuries to Nandre Burger and Tony de Zorzi easing India's path, Keshav Maharaj (10*) and Corbin Bosch (25*) guided South Africa to a memorable victory with four wickets and four balls remaining.

Arshdeep Singh (2/54) was India's leading bowler, while Harshit Rana's (1/70) figures suffered after a poor over. Prasidh Krishna's disappointing performance, conceding 82 runs in 8.2 overs, was a significant factor in South Africa's triumph.

Fans can look forward to an exciting decider on Saturday.