• Source:JND
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India vs South Africa: Indian batter KL Rahul became only the second wicketkeeper-batter for the Men in Blue to score 1000 runs in ODI cricket in a single calendar year.

Rahul, who was captaining the side against South Africa, led the side to a 78-run victory in the third ODI match at Boland Park in Paarl on Thursday with India winning the ODI series 2-1.

Rahul went past 1000 runs during the third ODI match where he scored 21 runs in 35 deliveries with the help of two boundaries.

In 27 ODI matches this year, he has scored 1060 runs at an impressive average of 66.25 and a strike rate of 87.74 with the help of two centuries and seven fifties.

 

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Former Indian captain MS Dhoni was the first wicketkeeper for the team to achieve this milestone.

In 2007, Dhoni scored 1103 runs in 33 ODI innings at an average of 44.12 with the help of a century and seven fifties.

He followed it with 1097 runs in 2008 at an average of 57.73 with a century and eight fifties to his name. His best score was 124.

Dhoni went on to achieve the feat for the third successive year in 2009 when he ended up scoring 1198 runs at an average of 70.47 on the back of two centuries and nine half-centuries with a best score of 124.

This was India's only second ODI series win on South African soil as KL Rahul became the second Indian captain to win an ODI series in South Africa after Virat Kohli.

India kicked off the ODI series in style as they put up a dominating performance in the first match, winning it by eight wickets in Johannesburg.

The Proteas made a comeback to level the series as they clinched an eight-wicket victory in the second match in Gqeberha.

In the series decider, India once again were put into bat first and they posted a total of 296/8 in their 50 overs on the back of a magnificent century from Sanju Samson.

Samson scored the maiden international ton of his career which started way back in 2015 when he made his maiden appearance for the Men in Blue.

Arshdeep Singh once again was the star with the ball in hand as he ended up taking four wickets for just 30 runs to help India bowl the hosts out for 218 runs in 45.5 overs.

 

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Both India and South Africa faced off in a three-match T20I series which ended with a result of 1-1 and will now lock horns in a two-match Test series.

The Test series will begin with the first match scheduled to be played in Centurion on December 26 with India having a few senior players back in the side who were rested for the white-ball leg.