India have never won a one-day international (ODI) series in South Africa, but the visitors will aim to break the jinx when they take on the Proteas in the first of six-matches series at Kingsmead Cricket Ground here on Thursday.
Fresh from the victory in the third Test at Wanderers, India will aim to clinch the number one spot in the ICC ODI team rankings with a series win.
India are currently on 119 rating points while South Africa is at 120.
Also, the Virat Kohli-led side have not lost a single series in this format in the past two years. They last lost to Australia in January 2016.
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are expected to open for India, while the number four spot, which has been a game of musical chairs lately, is likely to be given to middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane.
Former India skipper M.S. Dhoni, who now only plays limited overs cricket, will play either at number 5 or 6.
South Africa will play without their swashbuckling batsman AB de Villiers who is out with a finger injury.
Test opener Aiden Markram will replace injured de Villiers.
India (probables): Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane/ Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav/Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami/ Shardul Thakur
South Africa (probables): Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wk), Faf du Plessis (c), Aiden Markram, JP Duminy, David Miller, Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir.
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