Ishan Kishan to play in middle-order in place of unavailable KL Rahul for New Zealand series

KL
Rahul’s
unavailability
due
to
personal
reasons
opens
up
a
slot
for
Kishan,
but
he
may
not
be
asked
to
open
during
the
three-match
series
starting
here
on
Wednesday.

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
Kishan
to
open
alongside
skipper
Rohit
Sharma,
made
the
most
of
the
opportunities
with
scores
of
70,
21
and
116
in
the
Sri
Lanka
series.

Back-up
Bharat
to
warm
bench

No
changes
are
expected
to
the
opening
combination
against
the
Black
Caps
but
Rahul’s
unavailability
means
Kishan
is
expected
to
keep
wickets.
Kishan
has
batted
in
the
middle-order
thrice
in
the
10
ODIs
he
had
played,
therefore
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
even
though
the
performance
of
their
opponents
was
underwhelming
to
say
the
least.

The
big
takeaways
for
India
from
the
Sri
Lanka
series
was
the
performance
of
the
top
three
and
Mohammed
Siraj’s
ability
to
pick
up
wickets
with
the
new
ball.
Like
Gill
and
Virat
Kohli,
Rohit
also
looked
in
sublime
touch
with
scores
of
83
and
42
but
would
like
to
get
a
big
hundred
which
has
also
eluded
him
for
some
time
now.

Kohli
though
is
back
to
scoring
hundreds
at
will
and
looks
hungrier
for
runs
more
than
ever,
which
should
set
alarm
bells
ringing
in
the
New
Zealand
camp.

Shreyas’s
absence
could
be
a
boon
for
‘SKY’

While
he
was
one
of
India’s
steady
batters
in
ODIs
in
2022,
Shreyas
Iyer
failed
to
convert
his
starts
in
three
games
as
scores
of
28,
28
and
38
would
suggest
and
to
make
matters
worse,
the
middle-order
batter
now
has
been
ruled
out
of
the
three-match
series
against
New
Zealand
owing
to
a
back
injury.
In
Iyer’s
absence,
the
indomitable
Suryakumar
Yadav
will
get
at
least
three
chances
to
cement
his
place
in
the
side.

Shreyas
Iyer
out
of
the
New
Zealand
ODIs

Surya
and
Hardik
Pandya
in
the
middle-order
will
surely
add
firepower
at
the
back-end.
Rajat
Patidar,
who
plays
for
Madhya
Pradesh
in
the
domestic
circuit
and
Royal
Challengers
Bangalore
in
the
Indian
Premier
League,
has
been
named
as
Iyer’s
replacement
for
the
rubber
against
the
visiting
Kiwis.
Patidar
has
earlier
been
part
of
ODI
team
for
past
few
series.

Will
Kul-Cha
be
back
together

Besides
Rahul,
Axar
Patel
has
also
been
given
a
break
for
the
series
and
his
like-
for-like
replacement
in
the
eleven
could
be
Shahbaz
Ahmed.
It
remains
to
be
seen
if
the
team
management
gives
Shahbaz
a
go
or
bring
in
Washington
Sundar,
who
could
be
handy
against
the
left-handers
in
the
New
Zealand
camp.

India
have
so
far
preferred
to
play
a
finger
and
a
wrist
spinner
each
in
the
playing
eleven,
leaving
them
to
choose
between
Yuzvendra
Chahal
and
Kuldeep
Yadav,
who
provided
the
much
needed
wickets
in
the
middle
overs
in
the
two
games
against
Sri
Lanka.
Whether
Kuldeep
and
Chahal
could
be
played
together
like
it
used
to
happen
five
years
back
or
the
team
management
decides
otherwise
is
there
to
be
seen.

Chahal
did
not
play
after
the
first
ODI
due
to
a
sore
shoulder
but
he
should
be
available
for
selection
for
the
series-opener.
Siraj,
Mohammad
Shami
and
Umran
Malik
will
be
the
likely
specialist
pacers
in
the
team
with
Hardik
Pandya
being
the
all-rounder.

New
Zealand
strong
enough
without
Williamson

Though
New
Zealand
don’t
have
the
services
of
star
players
Kane
Williamson
and
Tim
Southee
for
the
series,
the
hosts
will
have
to
be
at
their
best
to
better
the
visitors.
Stand-in-captain
Tom
Latham
played
a
blinder
the
last
time
the
two
teams
met
in
an
ODI.

The
team
is
coming
from
a
high
of
a
series
against
Pakistan
in
Karachi.
Opener
Finn
Allen,
who
was
not
at
his
destructive
best
in
Karachi,
would
be
looking
to
take
the
attack
to
the
India
bowlers.
The
hosts
need
to
find
a
way
to
stop
the
belligerent
Glenn
Phillips
who
single-ha22ndely
won
New
Zealand
the
decider
against
Pakistan
despite
being
half-fit.
Squads

India:
Rohit
Sharma
(Captain),
Shubman
Gill,
Ishan
Kishan
(wk),
Virat
Kohli,
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.

New
Zealand:
Tom
Latham
(captain),
Finn
Allen,
Doug
Bracewell,
Michael
Bracewell,
Mark
Chapman,
Devon
Conway,
Jacob
Duffy,
Lockie
Ferguson,
Daryl
Mitchell,
Henry
Nicholls,
Glenn
Phillips,
Mitchell
Santner,
Henry
Shipley,
Ish
Sodhi,
Blair
Tickner.

Match
starts
1.30
IST.