South Africa vs India, 2018: 5 Indian cricketers to watch out for in the ODI series

The Indian cricket team might have lost the Test series against South Africa, but signed off on a high with an impressive victory in the final Test held in Johannesburg.

With the momentum on their side, Virat Kohli and his men will look to get back to winning ways in the ODI series which begins on February 1.

The squad did not throw up many surprises with the usual suspects being named to take on the world no. 1 side.

Here are five Indian cricketers to watch out for in the upcoming ODI series:

#5 Yuzvendra Chahal

Ever since making his debut in 2016, the 27-year-old has proven to be one of India's best bowlers in the limited overs format.

His ability to pick up wickets at regular intervals is what makes him one of the most sought after bowlers right now.

However, Chahal has not been tested in the tough conditions offered by the South African pitches. It will be interesting to see if he has the same impact over there as he has had in the sub-continent conditions.

He has picked up 27 wickets in 17 matches so far at an average of 25.07 and a good economy rate of 4.66.

#4 Shardul Thakur

The 26-year-old speedster from Mumbai made his debut for the Indian cricket team a few months ago against Sri Lanka in Colombo. He performed well as he picked up 1 wicket and gave away 26 runs in 7 overs.

However, his performance in the final ODI of the series was one to forget as he gave away 48 runs in just 6 overs.

There was a lot of hue and cry over his no. 10 jersey number during the series, as it was the same number worn by Sachin Tendulkar. Shortly after the series, Thakur gave up the no. 10 jersey and chose to wear no. 54.

His selection for the series against South Africa has been questioned by many. He might not get a chance to play but if he does, he will look to make the most of it.

#3 Manish Pandey

The Indian cricket team star has not been on top of his game over the past few months. He has not scored a single half-century in his previous nine innings for the Men in Blue.

This upcoming series against South Africa will be an extremely important series for the 27-year-old batsman from Karnataka. He will have to get back into his groove in order to cement his place in the side for the future.

It will be interesting to see whether the team management decided to play him or go with Dinesh Karthik in the playing XI.

Pandey was recently snapped up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs. 11 crore in the IPL auctions.

#2 Dinesh Karthik

The 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman's career with the Indian cricket team has been filled with ups and downs. There has not been a single period of time where he has consistently been a part of the squad.

However, he has been named in the squad on multiple occasions in the recent past due to the consistency he has shown in the domestic circuit.

He will look to perform well in the upcoming ODI series against South Africa in order to cement his place for the future. With the ODI World Cup set to take place next year, he will look to impress the selectors with the opportunities he gets.

#1 Kedar Jadhav

The 32-year-old from Maharashtra is one amongst the very few Indian cricketers who bloomed late in their career.

He had a great 2017 and played a huge role in India's success at home. His match-winning knock against England in Pune in 2017 will not be forgotten for a long time.

He played a huge part in India's success in the ICC Champions Trophy as well. His part-time bowling has been extremely effective over the past one year as he has broken important partnerships on a number of occasions.

However, he has not been in great form over the past few matches or so and will look to get back to his dangerous best against the Proteas.