Having stirred a debate after being left out of the squad despite a world record double hundred, Ishan Kishan is set to play in the middle-order in the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand, beginning here on Wednesday.
KL Rahul’s unavailability due to personal reasons opened up a slot for Kishan.
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 rubber.
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.
No changes are expected to the opening combination against the Black Caps.
Kishan has batted in the middle-order thrice in the 10 ODIs he had played, and therefore, making adjustments 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.
Here’s all you need to know about the first ODI between India and New Zealand
When will the first ODI between India and New Zealand take place?
The first ODI between India and New Zealand will take place on Wednesday, 18 January.
Where will the first ODI between India and New Zealand take place?
The first ODI between India and New Zealand will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
What time is toss in first ODI between India and New Zealand?
The first ODI between India and New Zealand will start at 1:30 PM IST. Toss will take place half an hour before the start of play.
How can I watch the first ODI between India and New Zealand?
The first ODI between India and New Zealand will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network. You can also watch the live stream of the match on the Disney+ Hotstar app, as well as follow the live commentary and updates on Firstpost.com.
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