India Announces ODI Squad for New Zealand Series; Shubman Gill to Lead, Shreyas Iyer Returns
The senior men’s selection committee on Saturday announced India’s squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand. The series will begin on January 11 at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara.
Shubman Gill, who is returning after recovering from injury, has been appointed captain of the Indian team, while Shreyas Iyer has been named vice-captain. The series will serve as an important preparation phase ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
BCCI Confirms Squad Selection
According to an official statement released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the senior selection panel finalized the squad keeping player fitness and workload management in mind. Shreyas Iyer’s inclusion is subject to final fitness clearance from the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
Why Hardik Pandya Is Rested
The BCCI clarified that Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested for the ODI series as part of workload management ahead of major ICC events. The board’s chief executive officer has reportedly not cleared Pandya to bowl 10 overs per match at this stage, prompting the decision to keep him out of the series.
No Place for Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson
For the wicketkeeper-batter role, selectors have opted for KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. Despite Pant’s recent struggles with form, selectors chose to retain him, leaving Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson out of the squad.
India Squad for New Zealand ODI Series
- Shubman Gill (Captain)
- Rohit Sharma
- Virat Kohli
- KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper)
- Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain)*
- Washington Sundar
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Mohammed Siraj
- Harshit Rana
- Prasidh Krishna
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper)
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Arshdeep Singh
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
*Subject to fitness clearance
ODI Series Schedule
- 1st ODI: January 11 – Vadodara
- 2nd ODI: January 14 – Rajkot
- 3rd ODI: January 18 – Indore
The ODI series against New Zealand is expected to test India’s bench strength while giving returning players an opportunity to regain rhythm ahead of major international tournaments.
