India is gearing up to take on New Zealand in the first ODI of the three-match series at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11. After a successful ODI series win against South Africa, the Men in Blue are in high spirits and are considered the favorites for this upcoming clash. The return of Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill has bolstered the squad, despite the absence of key players like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.
The India squad for the New Zealand ODI series includes Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Shreyas Iyer, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj.
Predicted Playing XI for the first ODI against New Zealand:
Openers: Shubman Gill (c) and Rohit Sharma
Captain Shubman Gill will partner with the in-form Rohit Sharma at the top of the order, with Yashasvi Jaiswal likely to miss out despite his recent century.
Middle Order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar
Virat Kohli, in great form, will lead the middle order alongside Shreyas Iyer, who has recovered from a spleen injury. KL Rahul will don the wicketkeeping gloves, while Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar will play crucial roles in the absence of a batting option at No. 8.
Lower Order: Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj
Kuldeep Yadav will lead the bowling attack, supported by Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. The final fast bowler spot could go to either Prasidh Krishna or Mohammed Siraj, with the latter having the edge due to experience and new-ball ability.
India will aim to continue their winning momentum against New Zealand, with a strong playing XI ready to take on the challenge. The match promises to be an exciting contest between two formidable teams.
The article was edited by Sai Krishna and originally published on Sportskeeda.
