The Indian cricket team received a standing ovation at the Ranchi airport on Monday, December 1 as they left the city. KL Rahul’s team beat South Africa in a thrilling encounter at the JSCA Stadium. Ranchi turned up in huge numbers, 36,000 to be exact, and the crowd went home with the memory of Virat Kohli playing one of his best innings in recent times.
Apart from Virat Kohli’s brilliant knock, Ranchi also witnessed Harshit Rana’s rousing opening spell and a tremendous fightback from the South African middle order, which took the match to the final via a thriller.
IND vs SA 1st ODI: Highlights
As the home team prepared to depart, locals celebrated the win with loud cheers and whistles at the airport, creating an energetic atmosphere.
Some curious passengers passed by the seating area where the Indian team was waiting, probably hoping for an autograph or a selfie.
However, the time-crunched Indian team simply rested at the airport before flying to Raipur for the second match of the series.
The win will serve as a big confidence booster for the Indian ODI team as they venture into the series in Australia. Despite not having the services of Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian side managed to put up a strong fight against the Proteas and held their nerve till the last moments to secure a narrow victory.
The final two matches of the series are expected to be played on high-scoring pitches that offer extra bounce to mimic the kind of surfaces teams may encounter in South Africa during the 2027 World Cup.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
December 1, 2025
