The BCCI on Friday announced Team India’s squads for the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand. Hardik Pandya will lead the team in the T20I series against New Zealand, while Rohit Sharma takes charge of the team for the ODIs against the Blackcaps. The BCCI also announced that KL Rahul & Axar Patel will miss the New Zealand series due to family commitments, while a call on Ravindra Jadeja’s availability for the first two Tests will be taken later.
The young Indian opener, Prithvi Shaw has been called up by the Indian T20I squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against New Zealand. Shaw, who has been prolific in domestic cricket has finally received a call-up in the team after being dropped in 2021. The Indian chief selector, Chetan Sharma had earlier given an indication in the T20 World Cup that Shaw will get his due.
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Shaw has finally got his chance for the series against New Zealand, who will be led by spinner Mitchell Santner in the absence of Kane Williamson and Tim Southee. In the Indian side of things, Hardik Pandya is set to lead the team once again with Suryakumar Yadav as his deputy, given the management has decided to rest Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for successive T20I series at home.
Rohit and Virat were not part of the Sri Lanka T20Is earlier in January and it seems that India will be running with the same philosophy in the run-up to the ODI World Cup, to either manage the workload of the veterans or to phase them out of the team, slowly but surely.
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BCCI has confirmed that KL Rahul and Axar Patel have been rested from the ODI series due to prior family commitments. KS Bharat has been roped in as a wicket-keeper for Rahul, while Shahbaz Ahmed has replaced Axar Patel. As far as India’s batting line-up is concerned, the BCCI did not make many changes to the squad that was selected for the Sri Lanka series.
Shardul Thakur has also been recalled in the India squad for the New Zealand series, coming in for Arshdeep Singh. Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Umran Malik complete India’s fast-bowling attack for the home series.
India’s squad for NZ T20Is:
Hardik Pandya (C), Suryakumar Yadav (vc), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Y Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Prithvi Shaw, Mukesh Kumar— BCCI (@BCCI) January 13, 2023
India squads for the New Zealand series:
India’s ODI squad against New Zealand: 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, Umran Malik.
India’s T20I squad against New Zealand: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Suryakumar Yadav (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Prithvi Shaw, Mukesh Kumar.
