Team India captain KL Rahul displayed immense generosity when it came to the 'Impact Fielder' of the series award after the conclusion of the third and final ODI against South Africa on December 21. Rahul, who grabbed six catches, was the front-runner to bag the inside-the-dressing-room award but he batted for rising star Sai Sudharsan to be presented with the medal. Rahul's decision was influenced by Sudharsan's acrobatic catch that he grabbed during the series-deciding game. Sudharsan took a stunning catch to dismiss dangerous Heinrich Klaasen in the 3rd ODI.
Subsequently, India's fielding coach agreed with Rahul's point of view and handed the medal to Sudharsan, who grabbed just one catch in the series.
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"There are few magnificent performances in the ODI series. Altogether, we have taken 12 catches during the ODI series against South Africa. KL has alone taken six catches. Sanju has taken two catches, one as a keeper and another as a fielder. Sai took one brilliant catch today. It was a tight decision to decide the best fielder. It was a tight call between Rahul and Sai. But Rahul was generous enough to say that the catches were on his hand and we should give this award to Sai," fielding coach Ajay Ratra said while presenting the medal.
In the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa, India demonstrated remarkable resilience and skill. The series began with India securing a dominant win in the first match, only for South Africa to bounce back with an impressive 8-wicket victory in the second ODI at Gqeberha. However, India regained their momentum in the decisive third match, clinching the series with a substantial 78-run win.
This triumph marks only the second time India has emerged victorious in a bilateral series on South African soil. The first such victory occurred in 2018 when India triumphed with a 5-1 series win. This recent success under KL Rahul's captaincy places him alongside Virat Kohli, who led the 2018 victory, as the only Indian captains to secure an ODI series win in South Africa.
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