Major changes are expected in Team India before the ODI series against New Zealand. India's new ODI squad will be announced under the captaincy of Shubman Gill, but three key players may be left out of this series.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will soon announce Team India's squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. Senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are expected to don the blue jersey once again. Shubman Gill could be named captain of the ODI team. However, ahead of the team announcement, there is growing speculation that some prominent names may be left out of the series. In particular, questions are being raised about three star players, particularly regarding workload management and the recent selection policy.

Is it difficult for Rishabh Pant to return to the ODI team?

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant's selection in the ODI squad against New Zealand appears unlikely. Pant has been out of the Indian ODI team since 2024. He was also benched during the England series, the Champions Trophy, and the matches against Australia and South Africa. In such a scenario, the BCCI may rely on players like KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, or Jitesh Sharma for wicketkeeping duties.

Hardik Pandya may get rest

Hardik Pandya is fully fit and available for selection. Despite this, he could be left out of the squad for this ODI series. India will also play a five-match T20I series against New Zealand after the ODI series. Furthermore, with the T20 World Cup 2026 in mind, the BCCI is cautious about Hardik's workload. Therefore, it is possible that he may be given a break from ODIs to focus on the T20I series.

Jasprit Bumrah may also be out

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is also among the players who could be rested from the ODI series. Bumrah has been sidelined from ODI matches since the Australia tour. The BCCI is already managing his workload to ensure he remains fully fit for major tournaments. However, it is considered certain that Bumrah will be seen playing in the T20 series against New Zealand.

A new combination may be seen in the potential team

Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli , Shreyas Iyer/Tilak Verma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja/Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh/Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav.

 PC:ABPNews