When the Indian team takes the field for the final two ODIs against New Zealand, there will be some changes to the side. It is worth noting what specific changes have been made to the squad for these last two matches, following the first three games.
IND vs NZ: Big Changes in Team India Squad for Final Two ODIs
Three matches of the ongoing ODI series between India and New Zealand have been played, with two more yet to take place. A minor change has been made to the Indian squad for these final two matches: some players who featured in the first three games have been left out, while a few new players have been brought in. Additionally, there has been a change in captaincy—Shreyas Iyer will now lead the Indian team for the remaining two matches.
IND vs NZ 4th ODI to be played on November 13
The Indian team will play the fourth ODI against New Zealand on Friday, November 13. This match will take place at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. The final ODI will also be held at the same stadium on November 15. Following the ODI series, the first Test match will begin on November 19.
Given the short turnaround between the final ODI and the first Test—which leaves the Indian players with very little time to prepare—some members of the squad will sit out the last two ODIs to focus on their preparations for the Test series. Notably, Shubman Gill, who is set to captain the side in the Test matches, will not feature in the remaining two ODIs; Shreyas Iyer has been entrusted with the captaincy for these games.
Shreyas Iyer captain and Ishan Kishan appointed vice-captain
Along with Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Anshul Kamboj will also be unavailable for the final two ODIs. Aaqib Nabi, who was initially included in the squad only for the first two ODIs, has now been retained for the final three matches as well. Additionally, Tilak Varma, Kumar Kushagra, and Yash Thakur have been added to the squad for the fourth and fifth ODIs. It will be interesting to see which of these players manage to secure a spot in the playing eleven.
Shreyas Iyer served as vice-captain for the first three ODIs, but following his appointment as captain, Ishan Kishan has been named the new vice-captain. In the absence of KL Rahul, Kishan will also take on the role of wicketkeeper. There are 11 players in the squad who have been selected for the entire five-match ODI series; this group includes Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Indian team squad for the last two ODIs:
Shreyas Iyer, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav
