Team looked at me proudly after I finally won the toss: KL Rahul

India defeated South Africa by nine wickets in the third ODI at Visakhapatnam to win the series 2-1. KL Rahul finally won the toss, Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna starred with the ball, and India chased 270 comfortably

Visakhapatnam: India thrashed South Africa by nine wickets in the series-deciding third and final ODI to clinch the series 2-1, with stand-in skipper K L Rahul joking that his teammates were prouder of him for finally winning the toss after 20-odd games.

Rahul had lost the toss in the first two matches, forcing India to bowl second under heavy dew. The hosts won the opener in Ranchi by 17 runs but lost the second in Raipur by four wickets.

---

On Saturday, Rahul opted to bowl first in Visakhapatnam, and the Indian attack excelled with a dry ball, dismissing South Africa for 270. Kuldeep Yadav (4/41) and Prasidh Krishna (4/66) shared eight wickets, with Rahul praising Krishna for bouncing back after criticism in earlier games.

Quinton de Kock’s century threatened to push South Africa towards a big total, but his dismissal proved decisive. India’s chase was smooth, sealing victory with nine wickets in hand.

Rahul said: “I don’t think the team has looked at me more proudly after the toss. The most pleasing thing has been how we’ve handled pressure consistently.”

India will now play a three-match T20I series against South Africa, led by Suryakumar Yadav, before hosting New Zealand for ODIs in January 2026.