India squad for New Zealand ODIs: Shreyas Iyer back but there's a catch, still no Hardik Pandya; Rishabh Pant included

Rishabh Pant has found a place in the squad after spending the past few days under scrutiny over his spot in the team.

The BCCI selection committee, on Saturday, named India’s squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand, bringing back Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer to the 50-over side. Both batters had missed the previous ODI assignment after picking up injuries, but Gill has now been declared fully fit and available for selection. Iyer, however, is yet to receive the final go-ahead from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, with his inclusion dependent on clearing the required fitness tests.

Shreyas Iyer has been inlcuded in India's squad for New Zealand ODIs.(AFP)

Rishabh Pant has also found a place in the squad after spending the past few days under scrutiny over his spot in the team. The left-hander has been included as the second wicketkeeping option, underlining the selectors’ faith in his recovery and readiness. At the same time, Hardik Pandya has been given a break from the series as part of a carefully planned workload management strategy. The BCCI clarified that Pandya has not yet received clearance from the Centre of Excellence to bowl a full quota of 10 overs in an ODI, prompting the management to err on the side of caution.

"Hardik Pandya has not been cleared by the BCCI COE to bowl 10 overs in a match and considering the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to follow, his workload is being managed," BCCI stated in the release.

Meanwhile, after proving their mettle in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, senior duo Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma continued to remain the pivotal part of India's ODI set-up. Meanwhile, despite hitting a century in the second ODI against South Africa, Ruturaj Gaikwad failed to retain his place in the side.

Jasprit Bumrah joins Hardik on the sidelines as India manage player workloads ahead of the ODI series. Mohammed Siraj returns to lead the pace attack, supported by Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Prasidh Krishna, providing depth and variety to India’s fast-bowling unit.

In the spin department, Kuldeep Yadav is India’s sole specialist spinner, while Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja offer all-round options with the ball. Their inclusion gives the team flexibility in balance, allowing India to strengthen the lower-middle order while maintaining spin support, ensuring a well-rounded lineup for the upcoming matches against New Zealand.

India’s ODI squad against New Zealand

Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC)*, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal