India’s ODI squad combination challenges ahead of New Zealand series:Who’ll be selectors’ pick, Shreyas or Shubman? Siraj’s pending comeback

India’s squad for the ODI series against New Zealand is expected to be announced on January 3 or 4. Veterans like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be seen playing in it, but Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah might be rested. Captain Shubman Gill, who could not play ODIs against South Africa due to injury, is also set to return. However, vice-captain Shreyas Iyer is still unfit, and it seems difficult for him to play the ODI series against New Zealand. India’s Possible Squad Shubman to play, Shreyas’s return difficult Captain Shubman Gill could not play the ODI series against South Africa last November. He was injured in the Test series, but he made a comeback in the T20 series. In such a situation, he will be seen returning to the ODI series against New Zealand and also leading the team. In September this year, ODI team vice-captain Shreyas Iyer also got injured during the Australia tour. He sustained a shoulder injury, due to which he has been away from cricket for the past 3 months. He is currently at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. According to reports, he has not yet received a fitness certificate and therefore will also miss the New Zealand series. Hardik and Bumrah might get rest All-rounder Hardik Pandya and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who are included in the T20 World Cup squad, might be rested from the ODI series. Both players constantly struggle with injuries, so they might be given a break from the ODI series to manage their workload. However, both are part of the T20 series squad against New Zealand, so they will be seen playing T20s. Who will be the backup opener? With Shubman’s return, the top-3 positions are fixed. In such a situation, left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal, who opened with Rohit Sharma against South Africa, might be dropped. Considering the playing-11 combination, he could even be excluded from the squad. Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan could be included in place of Yashasvi. He also got a place in the T20 World Cup team after his excellent performance in domestic cricket. Ishan can also bat in the middle order and could prove to be an excellent backup option for wicketkeeper KL Rahul. Who will bat at number 4? Due to Shreyas’s injury, the number 4 position in Team India is not fixed. Against South Africa, Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a century batting at this position. In such a situation, he can be given another opportunity at this position. Meanwhile, Tilak Varma can be kept in the squad as his backup. Tilak is also part of the World Cup team, so he can be rested. All-rounder Riyan Parag can also be included in his place. Parag has played one ODI and 9 T20s for India. In these, he has 7 wickets along with 121 runs. Who’ll back KL Rahul as wicketkeeper? Wicketkeeper KL Rahul, who captained India in the last series, will once again be seen batting at number 5 or 6. Rishabh Pant has been included in the ODI team as his backup for the past year. It is difficult for him to be out, but young Dhruv Jurel and experienced Sanju Samson are also present to give him competition. Jurel has not yet made his ODI debut for India, but he was part of the team in the last series. Meanwhile, Samson has scored 510 runs in 16 ODIs for India at an average of over 56. This includes a century against South Africa. Who will be the finishers and spinners? In Hardik’s absence, pace bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy can be included once again. He was also part of the team in the previous series, but he was not play in a single match. Apart from him, spin bowling all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar can be included in the team. Axar Patel is also in the race, but he was out of the previous series. He has also been made the vice-captain of the T20 team, so he can also be given a break from ODIs. Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav can lead the spin department. Varun Chakravarthy is also an option, but his inclusion is difficult. Will Siraj make his ODI comeback? Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj was part of the team in Australia, but he was dropped against South Africa. During this period, he bowled excellently in domestic cricket for Hyderabad. Based on this performance, he could be included in place of Prasidh Krishna or Arshdeep Singh. Harshit Rana bowled excellent swing against South Africa, so it is difficult for him to be dropped from the team. India to play three ODIs from 11 to 18 January The 3-ODI series between India and New Zealand will be played from 11 to 18 January. All three matches will be played in Vadodara, Rajkot, and Indore. India’s ODI squad for the series might be released on January 3 or 4. However, BCCI has already announced Team India’s squad for the T20 series. 5 T20 matches will be played from 21 to 31 January. India’s Probable Squad Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna/Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.