According to the former India player Aakash Chopra, South Africa will be favourites in across formats when they lock horns with India this month. While talking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said that chances are bleak that India will cleansweep the series in any format of the game because they have not traveled with their best team.
The Indian team management made three different squads with three different captains in the tour of South Africa because most of their senior players have taken a break. The likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be missing out on playing the white-ball leg of the tour while Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the series due to his ankle injury. India’s talented batter KL Rahul will lead the side in the 50-over format while Suryakumar Yadav will captain the T20I team and Rohit Sharma will take charge in the Test format in the series.
"I don't see a chance of a clean sweep anywhere. We are not playing a very good team in ODIs and they are also not playing a very good team. However, the conditions will still favor them and they have had a decent World Cup," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
"I see South Africa as slight favourites in this entire series. I could be completely wrong and I hope I am wrong, but I am seeing a few more matches going in favor of South Africa. It can be 5-3 in favor of South Africa," he further added.
The Indian team sealed the T20I and ODI series against the Proteas on their soil but they are still looking for a Test series win in the African nation. The last time India played a red ball series in South Africa was in 2021-22. The three-match bilateral contest finished in a 2-1 triumph for the hosts. The Indian team will be playing only two red ball games against South Africa as a part of the World Test Championship calendar.