Having stirred a debate after being left out of the squad despite a world record double hundred, Ishan Kishan is expected to be in the playing eleven in the upcoming ODI series against a tough New Zealand. KL Rahul’s unavailability due to personal reasons opens up a slot for Kishan, as he can also keep wickets, but he may not be asked to open during the three-match series starting on Wednesday (January 18).
Kishan had to sit out of the Sri Lanka series despite scoring the fastest double hundred in the history of ODIs, against Bangladesh in the preceding series. Shubman Gill, who was rewarded for his consistency and picked ahead of Ishan to open alongside skipper Rohit Sharma, made the most of the opportunities with scores of 70, 21 and 116 in the Sri Lanka series.
No changes are expected to the opening combination against the Black Caps but KL Rahul’s unavailability due to personal reasons opens up a slot for Kishan as he is also expected to keep wickets. Kishan has batted in the middle-order thrice in the 10 ODIs he has played, therefore the adjustment should not be an issue.
KS Bharat, who is the second wicketkeeper in the squad, is likely to warm the bench as he is more of a cover in Rahul’s absence. In a World Cup year, every game is significant and India would aim to build on the gains from the Sri Lanka series though the performance of their opponents was underwhelming to say the least.
_ Sound _#TeamIndia captain @ImRo45 gets into the groove ahead of the #INDvNZ ODI series opener _ _ pic.twitter.com/NR6DaK56mg
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 17, 2023
Here’s everything you need to know about India vs New Zealand 1st ODI match:
The India vs New Zealand 1st ODI match will start on January 18, Wednesday.
The India vs New Zealand 1st ODI match will be hosted in Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.
The India vs New Zealand 1st ODI match will begin at 1.30 pm IST. The toss is scheduled to take place at 1 pm IST.
The India vs New Zealand 1st ODI match will be televised on Star Sports Network channels in India.
The India vs New Zealand 1st ODI match is available to be streamed live on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website.
India: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardi Pandya, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Umran Malik
New Zealand: Michael Bracewell, Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Tom Latham (C), Glenn Phillips, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner, Ish Sodhi
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