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Team India will look to seal the top spot in the 2023 World Cup points table with a win against South Africa at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.
With seven wins from as many matches, the Men in Blue are at the very summit of the standings. South Africa aren't far behind in second place, with six wins, and have also qualified for the semifinals.
India won't be at full strength for the clash, with Hardik Pandya being ruled out of the remainder of the tournament. Prasidh Krishna has replaced the all-rounder in the squad.
India's squad for the 2023 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.
Here's India's predicted playing XI for Match 37 of the 2023 World Cup against South Africa.
Openers: Rohit Sharma (c) and Shubman Gill
India's openers are yet to truly click in tandem like they were doing ahead of the 2023 World Cup. In the last game, Rohit Sharma endured a rare failure even as Shubman Gill notched up a half-century.
Rohit and Gill will have a challenge on their hands against South Africa, with Marco Jansen being the leading powerplay wicket-taker in the tournament thus far.
Middle order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav
Virat Kohli might have missed out on a century against Sri Lanka in the previous game, but he immediately got himself back among the runs following his disappointing dismissal against England. The star batter will be in the spotlight once again in Kolkata.
Shreyas Iyer played a marauding knock to assuage doubts over his fit in India's XI in the last game. Up against South Africa's pace attack, as well as potentially a bowler who has got the better of him in Tabraiz Shamsi, the No. 4 batter will need to be at his absolute best.
KL Rahul hasn't been able to convert his last couple of starts, but that won't trouble him too much. He has been sensational behind the stumps and is also bound to play more meaningful knocks soon.
Suryakumar Yadav will be under the scanner even more than he was previously, with Hardik not going to return to the No. 6 spot. He needs to find consistency in the role, and if he doesn't, India might have some unnecessary questions as they head into the knockouts.
All-rounder: Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja played a handy cameo against Sri Lanka, his second of the 2023 World Cup. India will be delighted to see some batting returns from the left-handers, whose bowling has been as reliable as ever.
Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav
While India are playing three games in quick succession, they're unlikely to rest any of their frontline fast bowlers for a game as significant as this clash against South Africa. It is true that it won't have an impact on their semifinal hopes, but their position in the table could depend on whether they secure two points.
Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah could thus continue to man the fast-bowling department, even though Shardul Thakur and now Prasidh are viable backups on the bench. Kuldeep Yadav, meanwhile, will return to the home ground of his former Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise and lead the spin attack.
