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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads for the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand. Having recently completed their tour of Pakistan, the Blackcaps will cross the border to play three T20Is and three ODIs beginning on January 18.
The Kane Williamson-led outfit registered their first series win in Pakistan after overcoming a 1-0 deficit to maintain their No.1 ODI ranking. The Men in Blue, on the other hand, have clinched the ongoing series against Sri Lanka by claiming an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Rohit Sharma will continue to lead the ODI squad while other senior members like Virat Kohli and Mohammad Shami are also set to feature. It is to be noted that the T20I squad will once again be led by Hardik Pandya, with Suryakumar Yadav featuring as the vice-captain.
A three-match series against the current New Zealand side, who have performed well in subcontinent conditions, will prove to be a stern test for India as they continue their preparations for the 2023 ODI World Cup on home soil.
Team India ODI squad for New Zealand series
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KS Bharat (wk), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, and Umran Malik.
On that note, here are the three major takeaways from Team India's ODI squad for the New Zealand series.
#1 KS Bharat's inclusion
KL Rahul is currently donning wicketkeeping gloves for Team India in the ODI setup in the absence of Rishabh Pant. However, the Karnataka-born player will not be a part of the upcoming New Zealand series due to family commitments.
In his absence, it is highly likely that Ishan Kishan will assume wicketkeeping duties. His inclusion is tricky, as Rohit Sharma is keen on giving Shubman Gill a long rope in the format at the top.
That leaves them with only two potential outcomes. Either Kishan will have to play out of position or India could have a debutant in the form of KS Bharat.
The Andhra wicketkeeper has done a good job behind the stumps in the limited time he availed in the absence of Wriddhiman Saha.
He also has a solid domestic record to his name and the ODI series could prove to be an excellent practice venture ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
In Pant's prolonged absence, he will have to compete with Kishan for a spot in the middle order for at least the first two Tests.
#2 KL Rahul, Axar Patel, and Sanju Samson do not feature in the ODI squad
Three major players, KL Rahul, Axar Patel, and Sanju Samson, who are expected to be among the shortlisted 20-man pool for the World Cup, will not feature in the ODI series.
Rahul and Axar have recused themselves owing to family commitments. While there has been no clear communication over Samson's absence, it is understood that he is yet to completely recover from his injury.
The Kerala-born player sustained a knee injury while fielding during the first T20I against Sri Lanka in Mumbai. He was subsequently ruled out of the remainder of the series and was replaced by Jitesh Sharma.
In the absence of the aforementioned players, Team India have named KS Bharat, Shahbaz Ahmed, and an extra all-rounder option in the form of Shardul Thakur.
#3 India continue to bank on Siraj-Shami-Umran pace trio
It is evident that Team India's white-ball pace attack is heading in a new direction. Mohammed Siraj has reinvented himself and is arguably undroppable from the 50-over format.
He has almost single-handedly resolved the side's inability to claim wickets with the new ball. Trusting the scrambled seam and developing a reasonably good outswinger as well, the right-arm pacer has been instrumental in the Men in Blue's ODI success of late.
Umran Malik has also adapted well to the side. His burst of pace is proving to be a vital addition in the middle overs in order to get a hold of things should the game begin to drift away from the grasp.
Mohammad Shami, however, is on the edge as things stand in terms of the pecking order. Jasprit Bumrah's absence allows him to feature in the playing XI.
Should things not pick up from here onwards, he could meet the same fate as Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who seemingly is not in the scheme of things anymore for the national side across all formats.
Did the selection committee nail the choices for the ODI series against New Zealand? Let us know what you think.
Also Read: 3 reasons why Kuldeep Yadav should be India's primary spinner in the 2023 ODI World Cup
