Prasidh Ruled Out of New Zealand ODIs as India Manage Test Preparations

Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna will miss India’s five-match ODI series against New Zealand after failing to recover in time from a hamstring injury. The Karnataka seamer will instead join the India A squad for the third unofficial Test, provided he clears the Return to Play assessment.

The BCCI confirmed the decision, stating that Prasidh “will need additional time to build up the workload required to be ready for matches”. His focus now shifts to the Test series that follows, a priority that coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill had reportedly identified even before his withdrawal was formalised.

Prasidh sustained the hamstring injury during the second ODI against West Indies in Guwahati on September 30, where he sent down just five overs before leaving the field. No replacement has been named in the one-day squad, which is already without Jasprit Bumrah, who has been rested.

Nitish Reddy’s Split Assignment

All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy will feature in the first ODI alone before linking up with the A squad for the third unofficial Test starting November 6. The arrangement is designed to give Reddy red-ball game time ahead of the first Test in Wellington on November 19, balancing his white-ball duties with preparation for the longer format.

Siraj Bolsters India A

Mohammed Siraj has been added to India A’s squad for the second unofficial Test against New Zealand A, commencing October 31 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Siraj joins a group led by Dhruv Jurel that came agonisingly close to victory in the first unofficial Test in Lincoln, where New Zealand A held on for a draw in fading light.

KL Rahul, who played in Lincoln, will not feature in Christchurch as he prepares for the ODI series.

India A’s updated squad for the second four-day game: Dhruv Jurel (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Yash Rathod, R Smaran, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Shikhar Mohan, Mukesh Choudhary, Mukesh Kumar, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra.

Squad Rotation Across the Series

India’s ODI squads for the first three matches and the final two reflect a managed approach to workloads and availability. Shubman Gill captains the first three, with Shreyas Iyer taking over for the fourth and fifth. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul feature in the opening block, while Tilak Varma and Kumar Kushagra come into the squad for the closing fixtures.

India ODI squad for first three matches: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy.

India ODI squad for fourth and fifth matches: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (vice-captain), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav.

                                               

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