India’s next international assignment will be a home series against New Zealand, starting with a three-match ODI series. The opening game is scheduled for January 11 at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to announce the squad in the first week of January, and a couple of changes are likely.
Shubman Gill, who leads India in Tests and ODIs, missed the South Africa ODI series after sustaining a leg injury during the first Test. Although he returned for the T20Is, he struggled for form and was subsequently left out of the T20 World Cup squad. A return to the ODI setup against New Zealand now appears likely.
Shreyas Iyer’s comeback prospects
Shreyas Iyer picked up a serious injury during the Australia tour and has since been recovering at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. Encouragingly, he has resumed batting in the nets, which has boosted his chances of making a return to competitive cricket.
Kishan and Padikkal unlikely for ODIs
Despite strong performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Ishan Kishan and Devdutt Padikkal are not expected to feature in the ODI squad. Kishan, who is part of India’s T20 World Cup and T20I plans, may have to wait longer for an ODI opportunity.
Padikkal, even after scoring back-to-back centuries in domestic cricket, is also unlikely to be picked.
Tilak Varma and Dhruv Jurel may miss out
The probable return of Gill and Iyer could result in Tilak Varma and Dhruv Jurel losing their spots. With KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant set to continue as the primary wicketkeeping options, Tilak – who served as a backup batter – could also be omitted.
Rest likely for Pandya and Bumrah
Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are expected to be rested as part of workload management, with both players being key to India’s T20 World Cup plans.
They have already missed the last two ODI series, and that trend may continue. Axar Patel, who did not feature in the South Africa ODIs, could also be sidelined again. Ravindra Jadeja, despite mixed recent form in ODIs, may be given another opportunity after being dropped during the Australia tour and struggling against South Africa.
Probable India ODI squad vs New Zealand
Shubman Gill (Captain), Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana.
