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Shreyas Iyer Awaits Fitness Clearance as Gill Leads India in NZ ODIs

The BCCI has announced a 15-member ODI squad for the New Zealand series, with Shubman Gill appointed captain. Shreyas Iyer is named but his participation hinges on final fitness clearance from the BCCI's Centre of Excellence. Hardik Pandya has been rested to manage his workload ahead of the T20 World Cup, while Jasprit Bumrah will only feature in the subsequent T20I series. The squad sees the retention of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who are in strong form following domestic performances.

Key Points: India's ODI Squad vs NZ: Gill Captain, Iyer Fitness Pending

  • Gill to captain
  • Iyer fitness pending
  • Pandya rested for workload
  • Bumrah only for T20Is
3 min read

Shreyas Iyer awaits CoE clearance as India announces Gill-led squad for New Zealand ODIs

India names Shubman Gill-led squad for NZ ODIs. Shreyas Iyer's inclusion subject to BCCI clearance, Hardik Pandya rested for T20 WC prep.

Shreyas Iyer awaits CoE clearance as India announces Gill-led squad for New Zealand ODIs
"Shreyas Iyer's availability is subject to fitness clearance from BCCI COE. - BCCI Statement"

Mumbai, Jan 3

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand, with Shubman Gill set to lead the side. Shreyas Iyer, who had been on the sidelines owing to an injury, has been named in the squad, but his participation will be subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI's Centre of Excellence.

Moreover, all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who scored a brilliant century for Baroda in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Saturday against Vidarbha, has been rested to manage his workload as he prepares for the T20 World Cup.

"Shreyas Iyer's availability is subject to fitness clearance from BCCI COE. Hardik Pandya has not been cleared by the BCCI COE to bowl 10 overs in a match, and considering the ICC Men's T20 World Cup to follow, his workload is being managed," the BCCI said in their statement.

Iyer will arrive in Jaipur on Sunday and will participate in Mumbai's upcoming two Vijay Hazare Trophy games. Having finished the final stage of his rehab at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru and received clearance to return to competitive cricket, he is set to play Mumbai's last two league matches against Himachal Pradesh and Punjab on January 6 and 8, respectively.

Another notable absentee is pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who will only play the five-match T20I series against the Kiwis, followed by the T20 World Cup. In Bumrah's absence, the pace bowling unit will be led by Siraj with Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Prasidh Krishna as other options.

While Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel have been putting up impressive and consistent performances in the domestic setup for their state teams, they have missed their selection for the New Zealand series.

Notably, stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have retained their places in the side and will be hoping to continue their tremendous run of form in the 50-over format. The duo recently represented their state teams in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and notched up magnificent centuries and half-centuries, putting up a strong case for their selection.

India's ODI squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC)*, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal

India vs New Zealand ODI Series Schedule

1st ODI: January 11 - Vadodara

2nd ODI: January 14 - Rajkot

3rd ODI: January 18 - Indore

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
So happy to see Shreyas Iyer back in the mix! 🤞 Fingers crossed he gets that final CoE clearance. Our middle order has missed his stability. Hope he gets some good time in the middle during those Vijay Hazare games.
R
Rohit P
Good to see Virat and Rohit continuing. Their experience is priceless. But seriously, where is the space for young talents like Padikkal and Jurel? They are knocking on the door with consistent performances. Need to look beyond the same set of players sometimes.
S
Sarah B
The workload management for Bumrah and Pandya makes complete sense. The T20 World Cup is the priority. Better to have them 100% fit for that than risk burnout in a bilateral series. Smart planning by BCCI.
V
Vikram M
Bowling looks a bit thin without Bumrah. Big responsibility on Siraj to lead the attack. Hope Prasidh Krishna finds his rhythm. Exciting to see Harshit Rana get a chance though! He's been fiery in the IPL.
K
Kavya N
The schedule is in India, which is great! Vadodara, Rajkot, Indore... good batting wickets. Should be a high-scoring series. Can't wait to see Gill leading from the front. Hope he gets a big score. 💪

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