Indian ODI squad to face New Zealand announced
Batsman KL Rahul has been dropped from India's 15-member squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand that begins in Mumbai on October 22. Replacing the right-hander will be Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik, who was not a part of the Indian squad for the ODI series against Sri Lanka and Australia.
Rahul, who scored 196 runs in his first three innings at an average of 196, managed to score only 52 in the next six innings at an average of 8.66. This saw him lose his place in the ODI side to his Karnataka teammate Manish Pandey, who has been average in the chances he got against Australia. Even without getting a single match against the visiting Aussies to prove himself. Rahul has been excluded from the ODI squad.
Karthik, on the other hand, has been rewarded for his consistent show in the format in the last one year. Also, making a return to the squad is Mumbai pacer Shardul Thakur, who was a part of the Indian ODI team in Sri Lanka. Shikhar Dhawan, who missed the ODIs against Australia to be with his wife, makes a return to the side that already has in-form openers Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane.
There is no place for Indian discards Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, while R Ashwin, who passed the Yo-Yo Test at the NCA earlier this week, and his spin twin in Tests, Ravindra Jadeja continue to be out of the ODI setup as the Indian selectors are continuing to give chances to the impressive wrist spin duo of Yuzi Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav along with slow left-arm spinner Axar Patel.
Pacers Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav, who were a part of the ODI series against Australia, are not included in the Virat Kohli-led squad. The selectors are yet to give an explanation about the exclusion of these names.
After the first game in Mumbai on 22nd, the series moves to Pune for the second ODI on 25th and the third and final ODI will be played at the Green Park Oval in Kapur on October 29.
Indian ODI squad to face New Zealand: Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzi Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur.