CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: New Delhi. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), while announcing India’s ODI squad for the New Zealand tour, has selected two separate teams for the five-match series. Shubman Gill will captain India in the first three ODIs, while Shreyas Iyer will take charge in the final two matches. The board’s decision is being seen as linked to preparations for the Test series, workload management of players and trying out other team options.
Combination changed for Test series preparation
The five-match ODI series between India and New Zealand will begin on November 4, while the first match of the two-Test series will be played from November 19. After the first three matches of the ODI series, Shubman Gill and wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul will not be part of the squad for the final two ODIs. This will give them an opportunity to focus on preparing for red-ball cricket, the Test format.
However, the BCCI has not given a detailed reason in its official announcement for selecting separate squads. Giving players adequate preparation time before the Test series and balancing workload are seen as the key possible reasons behind the decision.
Shreyas Iyer given captaincy responsibility
For the first three ODIs, Shubman Gill will be captain and Shreyas Iyer vice-captain. In the final two matches, Iyer will captain the side, while Ishan Kishan has been named vice-captain. The change will give Iyer an opportunity to lead the team and allow selectors to assess his leadership skills. Experienced batters such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been included in both squads. This reflects an effort to maintain a balance between young leadership and experienced players.
New players get opportunity in final two ODIs
Tilak Varma, Auqib Nabi, Kumar Kushagra and Yash Thakur have been included in the squad announced for the final two matches. Wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra has received his first opportunity in the Indian team. Prasidh Krishna’s selection, meanwhile, is subject to fitness clearance. The squad picked for the first three ODIs also includes players such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj and Gurnoor Brar. Selecting different squads could help give young players opportunities at the international level and assess the available options.
New Zealand tour schedule
The first match of the India-New Zealand ODI series will be played in Auckland on November 4, the second in Wellington on November 7 and the third in Hamilton on November 10. The fourth and fifth ODIs will be played in Mount Maunganui on November 13 and 15. After this, the two teams will play a two-match Test series. The BCCI’s selection also provides an opportunity to prepare for the upcoming Test matches while testing leadership and player options in the ODI team.
Hashtags: #Sports #Bhopal #BCCI #NewZealandTour #TeamIndia #ODI #IndiaODISquad #ShubmanGill #ShreyasIyer #RohitSharma
