The stage is set for an exciting limited-overs battle as England will hosts South Africa in the first match of their three-game ODI series at Headingley. Both teams will enter the contest with considerable momentum, with South Africa fresh off a series victory against Australia and England having recently dominated the West Indies. The series opener is expected to be a high-stakes encounter as both sides look to seize the early advantage and set the tone for the rest of the tour. All eyes will be on the players as they vie for supremacy in this pivotal series. The series opener is scheduled for Tuesday, September 2, at the Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds

ENG vs IND: Team news and recent performance

Both teams are riding a wave of success heading into this series. Under the leadership of captain Harry Brook, England had a highly successful run against the West Indies, winning both the ODI and T20I series. The England players are coming into the series sharp and prepared, having recently concluded their stints in The Hundred tournament. South Africa, on the other hand, will be high on confidence following their impressive ODI series victory over Australia. In terms of team composition, England has already confirmed their playing XI, which will see the international debut of talented Hampshire pacer Sonny Baker. He will be joined by fellow quicks Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse in the bowling attack. Meanwhile South Africa will miss the services of Kagiso Rabada. 

ENG vs IND: Head-to-Head record and key players

Historically, the head-to-head record in ODIs between these two sides has been a tightly contested affair. In 71 overall meetings, South Africa holds a slight edge with 35 wins to England’s 30. However, when the teams have played on English soil, England has dominated, winning 17 of the 29 matches to South Africa’s nine. The series also features several key players in exceptional form. South African prodigy Matthew Breetzke recently set a record by scoring 50-plus runs in each of his first four ODIs. In the bowling department, Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi both claimed fifers in their recent series against Australia. For England, stalwarts like Jos Buttler and Joe Root will be crucial; Buttler holds an average of 44.30 and a strike rate of 108.47 against South Africa, while Root remains England’s highest scorer in ODIs with 7,126 runs.

Sqauds:

England: Harry Brook (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie Smith

South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs.

England vs South Africa 2025 Tour Schedule (with IST, GMT & Local Time)

Broadcast, Live Streaming Details

• United Kingdom: Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Go, Now
• South Africa: SuperSport, specifically on channels 490, 212 (SuperSport Cricket), and 201 (SuperSport Grandstand).DSTV app
• India: Sony Sports Network, Sony Liv, Fancode
• USA & Canada: Sling TV – Willow TV (sign up here)
• Ireland: Sky Sports
• Australia: Foxtel