Team India may have defeated Sri Lanka 3-0 in the ODI series but the playing XI for the first ODI against New Zealand at Hyderabad on Wednesday (January 18) will see plenty of changes. Injury to Shreyas Iyer as well as KL Rahul and Axar Patel’s unavailability means that the likes of Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Washington Sundar are expected to return to the ODI fold.


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However, Rohit Sharma is expected to stick to the successful opening pairing with Shubman Gill, who scored his second ODI century in the third ODI against Sri Lanka on Sunday (January 15). Gill opening the batting means that Kishan will be batting in the middle-order in spite of scoring the fastest double century in ODI history in his last game against Bangladesh.


World No. 1 T20 batter Suryakumar Yadav will be expected to replace Shreyas Iyer, who is ruled out of the entire ODI series due to back injury. KL Rahul and Axar Patel are getting married later this month and have been given leave by BCCI due to personal reason.



Washington Sundar, who was impressive in the ODI series in New Zealand last year, is expected to replace Axar in the lineup. The pace attack will feature in-form Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Umran Malik with all-rounder Hardik Pandya also chipping in.


New Zealand, on the other hand, will miss the services of regular skipper Kane Williamson and Tom Latham will be in charge instead. The likes of Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell and Glenn Phillips are all in good form after a series win over Pakistan earlier this month.


India vs New Zealand 1st ODI match Predicted 11


India: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik 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