Team India will begin a fresh three-match ODI series against 2019 50-over World Cup runners-up New Zealand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday (January 18). India will look to win their 23rd bilateral ODI series at home since 2010. Rohit Sharma’s side, who whitewashed Sri Lanka 3-0, will look to continue their winning run against the Black Caps, who will be led by Tom Latham in the absence of regular skipper Kane Williamson.
The Kiwis are coming into this series on the back of a 2-1 series over Babar Azam-led Pakistan side last week. Team India will need to ring in some changes with KL Rahul and Axar Patel set to miss the ODI series as both of them are expected to get married sometime soon.
Ishan Kishan will be expected to replace KL Rahul as the wicketkeeper in this series with KS Bharat as the backup. Kishan will be batting in the middle-order, change from the opening slot where he blasted the fastest ODI double century against Bangladesh last month.
Skipper Rohit and in-former Shubman Gill will continue to open the batting with Virat Kohli, who scored two centuries in the last series expected to bat in No. 3 position. It will be interesting to see if all-rounder Washington Sundar will come back into the side to replace Axar Patel as the all-rounder.
Kuldeep Yadav should continue to retain his place in the playing XI as well with a couple of impressive performances in his last two ODI games. In the pace bowling department, Mohammed Siraj should lead the attack with Mohammed Shami and Umran Malik joining them apart from all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
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