Afghanistan and South Africa are embarking on their first-ever bilateral ODI series, starting in Sharjah. Afghanistan welcomes back Rashid Khan, while South Africa is missing several key players, including their captain Temba Bavuma, due to various reasons. Aiden Markram will stand in as captain for South Africa. The series marks Sharjah Cricket Stadium's 250th ODI game. Following this series, South Africa will play against Ireland in both ODIs and T20Is in Abu Dhabi. Afghanistan recently had a one-off Test against New Zealand abandoned due to rain in Greater Noida.