'Go well, champ!'- Fans wish Shahbaz Ahmed all the best for his debut in Ranchi ODI

Shahbaz Ahmed, the left-arm spinning all-rounder has been handed a debut for the national side.

By Chaitanya Prakash

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Shahbaz Ahmed
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Shahbaz Ahmed. (Photo Source: Twitter)

India squares off against South Africa in the second ODI in Ranchi with hopes of a series-leveling win on Sunday, October 9. The Indian team led by stand-in skipper Shikhar Dhawan in the absence of the first-choice players have made two changes to the team following their narrow loss in the series opener. Shahbaz Ahmed, the left-arm spinning all-rounder, has been handed a debut for the national side.

Shikhar Dhawan-led India came inches close to an unlikely victory in a rain-curtailed affair in Lucknow, thanks to Sanju Samson's breathtaking assault. After failing to impress in the first ODI of the series, Ruturaj Gaikwad has been replaced in the side by Shahbaz Ahmed, who is making his debut for the Indian team.

The all-rounder had an impressive stint in this year's edition of the IPL, smashing 219 runs at a strike rate of 120.99 and scalping four wickets for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Shahbaz received his maiden call-up during India's tour of Zimbabwe earlier this year and was included in the squad for the recently concluded T20I series against the Proteas with Deepak Hooda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, and Hardik Pandya unavailable for the series.

Meanwhile, the Indian team also decided to bench Ravi Bishnoi after a woeful performance in the series opener in Lucknow. Washington Sundar, who has been drafted into the squad for the injured pacer Deepak Chahar, has been handed a start in the crunch fixture in Ranchi. 

The Proteas, who made a couple of forced changes of their own, elected to bat first after winning the toss. Keshav Maharaj, who is leading the side in the absence of Temba Bavuma, will be hoping to set an emphatic total for the hosts on a batting-friendly pitch in Ranchi. South Africa's win will seal a series victory for them, handing them a major boost for the automatic qualifications for next year's 50-over World Cup in the subcontinent. 

Twitter wished the youngster all the best after he received his maiden ODI cap from Shikhar Dhawan:

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