IND vs NZ 1st ODI: Spotlight On Shreyas Iyer’s Return As Rishabh Pant Misses Out Due to Injury
India’s cricket calendar for the year kicks off with the opening match of a three-game ODI series against New Zealand on Sunday (January 11) in Vadodara. The Men in Blue prepare for this high-profile white-ball contest against familiar rivals who have consistently challenged them across all formats. Senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli make their return to the format, while attention will be focused on Shreyas Iyer, who makes his comeback after recovering from a spleen injury sustained in Australia last October. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant’s unexpected injury setback has disrupted the team’s planning just ahead of the series curtain-raiser. Here’s a comprehensive look at what to expect.
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India welcomes back captain and opener Shubman Gill, who has recovered from the neck problem he picked up during the Kolkata Test against South Africa late last year, along with Iyer, who has been out of action for nearly three months. Their returns will provide a significant boost to team confidence, which already features prolific run-getters Rohit and Kohli leading the batting order.
Given that the Vadodara pitch is expected to favour batsmen, India’s formidable ODI batting line-up will be eager to capitalize on the conditions. Although Pant will miss the New Zealand series after being struck during practice on match eve, the hosts fortunately have a reliable wicketkeeper option in batting stalwart KL Rahul.
In Hardik Pandya’s absence, India is set to deploy two all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy, while also including four frontline bowlers Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, and spin spearhead Kuldeep Yadav.
New Zealand, meanwhile, will take the field with a second-tier ODI squad, as numerous first-choice players including Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, and Mitchell Santner have been rested. The Kiwis’ leading wicket-taker from last year, Jacob Duffy, is also unavailable for the series, meaning several uncapped players are likely to feature in the Vadodara eleven.
Nevertheless, the touring side will rely on the experience of Devon Conway, Daryll Mitchell, Will Young, and skipper Michael Bracewell. Their bowling unit, though, will lack depth going into the opening encounter.
Here are the predicted playing XIs for both teams in the first ODI:
India: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh
New Zealand: Devon Conway (wicketkeeper), Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell (captain), Josh Clarkson, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Aditya Ashok, Michael Rae