India will experience a sense of déjà vu as they face South Africa in Kolkata, aiming to secure the top spot in the points table. India seeks to extend their winning streak, while South Africa hopes to be the second team to confirm a semifinal spot. However, India is keen to avoid a repeat of their 2011 World Cup campaign, where they reached the final but lost to South Africa in Nagpur.
Virat Kohli and R Ashwin, the only current squad members who were part of the 2011 title-winning team, vividly recall that lone defeat. In that match, Sachin Tendulkar scored a century, but an unexpected turn of events saw Robin Peterson scoring crucial runs off Ashish Nehra, resulting in a three-wicket win for South Africa.
Yet, India has triumphed in their subsequent two World Cup clashes against South Africa, and they aim to derive motivation from those victories as they strive to maintain a perfect record of eight wins out of eight in 2023.
Also read: World Cup 2023 Semifinal Chances of All Teams
India vs South Africa ODI Head to Head
In their ODI history, South Africa holds the upper hand against India with 50 victories out of their 90 encounters, while India has secured 37 wins. Additionally, three matches concluded without a result.
India vs South Africa ODI World Cup 2023 Head to Head
When it comes to ODI World Cup encounters, India has lagged behind, losing three out of their five matches against South Africa. However, in their recent two meetings, India emerged victorious.
India vs South Africa Last 5 Matches Head to Head
In their most recent five encounters, India faced three losses against South Africa. Notably, three of these matches were part of a series held at home in October 2022, which India won 2-1, while the remaining two took place away from home, where India faced a whitewash in a three-game series.