IND vs NZ ODI:Huge Blow For India As Two Star Players Likely To Miss ODI Series Against New Zealand: Report
IND vs NZ ODI: India’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are all set to miss the three-match ODI series against New Zealand.
As per a TOI report, the BCCI will give some rest to Bumrah and Hardik for the ODI series against the Kiwis next month so that they stay fresh for the T20I series against the same team and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The three-match ODI series against New Zealand will be held from January 11 in Vadodara, Rajkot, and Indore, and the five T20Is will be held in Nagpur, Raipur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram.
The 2026 T20 World Cup will begin from Feb 7 next year and will be held in five venues, both in India and Sri Lanka.
IND vs NZ ODI:The BCCI selection committee will be meeting in Mumbai on Saturday to announce the T20 World Cup 2026 squad for India.
As per a BCCI source, the team management is quite clear on how to handle Bumrah’s workload.
“The management is very clear about Bumrah. People outside can create all sorts of fitness theories, but it’s very simple – you prioritise the formats and matches you want Bumrah to feature in. It was important from a team’s perspective that he play maximum T20Is in the buildup to the World Cup, and he has been on the park since the Asia Cup in the format. Bumrah’s playing was not just important for his continuity in the format but also for the captain and coach to figure out the bowling combination alongside Bumrah. These games have given a clearer picture to selectors also, and now the five T20Is vs New Zealand will be just about firming up plans,” a BCCI source told TOI.
“So the three ODIs against New Zealand serve no purpose. You will see more of Bumrah in ODIs when the team shifts focus to the 2027 World Cup. That’s how coach Gautam Gambhir plans to use his premier fast bowler,” he said.
IND vs NZ ODI: As per reports, Pandya, who stayed out of competitive cricket for two months owing to an injury, will also give the ODI series against New Zealand a miss.
But he might play one or two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches for Baroda.
“The approach will be the same for Hardik. Both Bumrah and Hardik are the most important players in the T20I set-up right now, and the series vs South Africa showed that. There is a possibility of Hardik playing some domestic games for Baroda just to keep his body ready, but no final decision has been taken in that regard,” he concluded.
