The BCCI has announced India's split squads for the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting November 4 in Auckland.
To manage workloads effectively ahead of the subsequent Test series, the selection committee has named separate core groups for the first three matches and the final two matches.
Shubman Gill will captain India during the first three ODIs, while Shreyas Iyer will take over the captaincy for the fourth and fifth ODIs after several Test-bound players leave early for red-ball preparations. Ishan Kishan has been named vice-captain for the last two ODIs.
Key red-ball pillars like Gill, KL Rahul and Prasidh Krishna will step away from the final leg of the ODI series. This allows them to head to Wellington early and acclimate to red-ball conditions before the opening Test match begins on November 19.
Young domestic performers like Auqib Nabi, Kumar Kushagra, and Yash Thakur have been handed significant call-ups to fill the void left by departing Test seniors. Senior stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be there to guide the youngsters in the 50-over series.
The selection committee also picked a 16-member squad for the two-Test series against New Zealand, with pacer Akash Deep returning to the fold after an extended injury layoff.
Ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah also features in the Test squad. Young spinner Manav Suthar failed to make the cut despite making a brilliant start to his red-ball career for India.
Left-handed batter Sai Sudharsan has also been included in the Test squad after he missed the previous series against Sri Lanka due to a toe injury. Sarfaraz Khan, who replaced him in the island nation, has faced the axing again.
India’s ODI squad for the first three ODIs: Shubman Gill [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer [VC], KL Rahul [WK], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna*, Kuldeep Yadav
India’s ODI squad for fourth and fifth ODIs: Shreyas Iyer [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav
Note: *Subject to fitness clearance
India’s Test squad: Shubman Gill [C], Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul [VC], Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant [WK]*, Dhruv Jurel [WK], Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
Note: *Subject to fitness clearance
