Senior India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has been recalled to the ODI side for the upcoming three-match home series against New Zealand, while batter Shreyas Iyer has been included subject to clearing a fitness test, the selectors announced on Saturday.
Siraj returns to the one-day set-up after being overlooked for the recent home series against South Africa. His comeback comes as Jasprit Bumrah, his regular new-ball partner, has been rested with an eye on workload management ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which begins next month.
Iyer, who has been named vice-captain for the series, remains under medical scrutiny after suffering a spleen laceration during the ODI tour of Australia in November. The batter was hospitalised during that series and will need to prove his match fitness by featuring in a Vijay Hazare Trophy game on January 6 before receiving clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (COE).
“Shreyas Iyer’s availability is subject to fitness clearance from BCCI COE,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India said in a statement.
The selectors have also decided against including Hardik Pandya, with the star all-rounder not cleared by the COE to bowl the full quota of 10 overs in a match. With the T20 World Cup looming, the decision reflects a cautious approach to managing his workload.
“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.
Also read: Will Siraj, Pant make the cut for NZ ODIs?
The ODI series will begin in Vadodara on January 11, followed by matches in Rajkot on January 14 and Indore on January 18.
Captaincy duties will revert to Shubman Gill, who missed the South Africa ODIs due to injury. Gill takes over from KL Rahul, who led the side in his absence. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, now featuring only in limited formats, return to the ODI fold and are expected to draw large crowds across the three venues.
Despite strong performances, including a fluent century against South Africa, Ruturaj Gaikwad failed to secure a place in the squad. Gaikwad had impressed with a 105 off 83 balls while batting at number four in Raipur, filling in during the absence of senior batters Gill and Iyer.
Rishabh Pant has retained his spot as the second wicketkeeper, ending speculation over his omission, while Tilak Varma and Dhruv Jurel have been left out following the return of senior players from injury layoffs.
India’s pace attack for the series will be led by Siraj, alongside Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, with all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy providing an additional seam option. The spin department features Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, offering balance on home pitches.
The series against New Zealand is expected to serve as a key preparatory assignment for India as the team fine-tunes combinations and manages player workloads ahead of the global T20 showpiece.
India ODI squad for NZ series: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC; subject to fitness clearance), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
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