On Tuesday, New Zealand suffered a huge blow as their regular skipper, Kane Williamson has been ruled out of the first two ODIs against India as he injured his shoulder during the third T20I. His absence will make a dent on the confidence of the Blackcaps for the first ODI in Hamilton on Wednesday, especially after losing the T20I series by 5-0. 

Team physio Vijay Vallabh said Williamson was struggling to shrug off a shoulder injury that kept him out of the last two T20Is. He said, “Kane has had an X-ray scan which cleared him of anything serious, but it’s best for his recovery that he avoids aggravating the joint for the next few days.”

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Selectors named Tom Latham as stand-in captain and called up Mark Chapman as a replacement as he scoring a couple of centuries against India A last week. Meanwhile, India vice-captain Rohit Sharma will miss the rest of the tour after retiring hurt in the fifth T20I on Sunday.

Sharma blasted 60 from 41 balls in the last T20I but was retired after that and went back to the dressing room limping. India are second in the ODI rankings, with New Zealand on third. The first ODI in Hamilton will be New Zealand’s first ODI since the World Cup final in July last year, which ended with scores tied and England winning because they hit more boundaries.

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The Black Caps eliminated the heavily favored Indians in the tournament semi-final and the tourists will be keen to avenge the loss.

New Zealand ODI squad for India series:

Kane Williamson (C) (3rd ODI), Mark Chapman Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jamieson, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tom Latham (c) (first two ODIs), Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi (1st ODI), Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.