NZ vs IND ODI series 2022: Predicted India Playing XI vs New Zealand

The T20 World Cup 2022 will come to an end on November 13 and five days after the T20 extravaganza, India will be locking horns with New Zealand on the latter’s turf. The white-ball tour will kickstart with the T20Is and then the action will move towards the 50-over format on November 25. Shikhar Dhawan will lead the Men in Blue in ODIs with Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli being rested for the entire tour. The last time India toured New Zealand, they were clean-swept 3-0 in the 50-overs leg. This time too Dhawan & Co. will have a task cut out as they embrace the Kiwi challenge. Let us look at what starting XI the team management might decide to go with as they bid to win the ODI series on New Zealand soil. Here is India’s predicted Playing XI for the ODI series against New Zealand: 1. Shikhar Dhawan (C) Dhawan has been the mainstay of the Indian batting lineup in the 50-over format for over a decade. The veteran batter has provided the Men in Blue with solid starts and has been quite outstanding in shepherding the innings. The southpaw has featured in 161 ODIs and amassed 6672 runs at an excellent average of 45.08. Further, the 36-year-old has also played 11 ODIs on the New Zealand shores and has scored 373 runs at an average of 37.30. The wealth of experience Dhawan possesses will come in handy when India faces the fiery Kiwi bowling attack. However, though the Delhi-born has been among the runs of late, his scoring rate has come under scrutiny. In this calendar year, Dhawan has scored 567 runs but at a low strike rate of 74.60. Come the New Zealand series, he would like to make amends and lead his side from the front. 2. Shubman Gill Shubman Gill has been a run-bank with the bat and has shown his batting prowess at the bigger stages time and time again. Recently, he has set the international stage ablaze with his astonishing knocks this calendar year. In the ODI series against West Indies, he was simply prolific aggregating 205 runs in three games, and that too at a strike rate of 102.50. The dashing stroke maker bettered his performance in the Zimbabwe 50-overs series scoring 245 runs in three games at a phenomenal strike rate of 120.68. Gill has been piling on runs for fun and has made the opener’s slot his own in the absence of Rahul and Rohit. With the way he has performed, it is quite difficult to look beyond him for the opening position. The 23-year-old would look to put on another sensational show on New Zealand shores. 3. Shreyas Iyer Shreyas Iyer has been a regular feature for the Men in Blue in the white-ball circuit in the last couple of years. He has been looked at as India’s number three when Kohli has been unavailable and it is likely he will slot in this position in the ODIs against the Blackcaps. The 27-year-old has played 33 ODI matches and scored 1299 runs at an average of 48.11 and a strike rate of 98.48. In the recently culminated ODI assignment against South Africa, Iyer was the top-scorer of the Men in Blue scoring 191 runs in three games at a strike rate of 111.69. Iyer’s presence at the crease has allowed stroke makers around him to play with freedom. The Mumbai-born reads the game situation well and builds his innings accordingly. This is what makes him a stand-out candidate for the number three role. 4. Suryakumar Yadav Suryakumar Yadav has made international cricket his own from the time he stepped into the big stage. The 32-year-old has destroyed top-quality attacks for fun and bowlers have found it tough to stop him. The shortest format has been his happy hunting ground where he has scored 1209 runs in 38 matches at a strike rate of 177.27. When it comes to ODIs, Suryakumar has not had the same success yet. The swashbuckling batter featured in 13 matches and scored 340 runs at an average of 34.00. These numbers do not do justice to the talent he possesses. But these numbers are expected to improve with time given his rich vein of form. In the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022, Suryakumar has smashed 164 runs in the four matches played so far, and that too at an incredible strike rate of 180.21. It would not be a surprise if the middle-order batter puts on an exhibition of his 360-degree strokeplay when India takes on the Kiwis. 5. Rishabh Pant (wk) Rishabh Pant is known for his swashbuckling strokeplay and has displayed his game-changing prowess on the international landscape time and time again. The wicketkeeper batter has already come of age in the longest format and the ODIs. Talking about 50-overs cricket, the Indian vice-captain has featured in 27 games and scored 840 runs at a strike rate of 108.80. The previous bilateral ODI series he featured in was against England where the 25-year-old played a blistering knock of 125* runs off 113 balls to take the Men in Blue across the line. The presence of the southpaw in the middle-order gives India the flexibility to use him as a floater, sending him to bat in case of a favourable match-up. Pant’s ability to take bowling attacks apart right from the get-go makes him a threat to any side. 6. Sanju Samson When India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2022 was announced, one of the cricketers who caused a polarising effect was Sanju Samson. This illustrates the aura the flamboyant cricketer has in Indian cricketing circles. The wicketkeeper batter has been one of the prolific run-getters in the Indian Premier League amassing 3526 runs in 138 games at a strike rate of 135.72. However, the Trivandrum-born seems to have stuttered on the international stage and has been inconsistent at times. But in the recent past, he has excelled at the global level too. Talking about the ODIs, Samson has featured in nine matches this calendar year and scored 248 runs at a strike rate of 107.35. Also, the 27-year-old has shown the versatility to slot in the lower-middle order and finish games for the side. The 50-over series against South Africa was a prime example of his finishing prowess scoring 118 runs in three games. He will look to replicate his rich vein of form in the encounter against the Blackcaps. 7. Washington Sundar Washington Sundar has been a consistent performer in the T20 circuit and has featured in 31 games in the shortest format and taken 25 scalps at an economy of 7.24. When it comes to ODIs, though he has got many opportunities, the 23-year-old has done a decent job in whatever chances have come his way. The Indian all-rounder has taken eight wickets in six matches at an economy of 5.24. Also, he has scored 57 runs in the two innings he batted in. Sundar brings balance to the side with his all-round prowess and will have a crucial role to play in the ODI series against the Kiwis. On the bowling front, Sundar is known to stem the flow of runs with his accurate lines and lengths, and this skill set will be required in the smaller grounds of New Zealand. When it comes to batting, he has shown that he can adapt to situations and provide vital contributions to the side. Thereby, making him an asset to the team. 8. Shardul Thakur Shardul Thakur has been a regular feature in the Indian circuit. The Palghar-born has played in 27 ODI matches and bagged 39 wickets at an economy of 6.42. Also, he is more than handy with the bat and has scored 257 runs at a strike rate of 117.88. The 31-year-old is an aggressive bowler and has made a name for himself in providing crucial breakthroughs to the side. Shardul, who is more of a swing bowler has added many variations up his sleeve. The wide array of skills the right-arm pacer has makes him versatile enough to bowl at any phase of the game which gives the Indian skipper more options on the field. Shardul can play crucial cameos slotting in at lower down the order and his inclusion in the team gives the batting depth to the side. The first game of the recently culminated three-match ODI series against the Proteas was an example of his all-round skill set where he picked two wickets and scored 33 runs. The team management would hope the bowling all-rounder rose to the occasion in the New Zealand series. 9. Deepak Chahar Deepak Chahar is one of the prominent fast-bowlers swing bowlers in the Indian circuit. He can make the ball talk at the start of the innings and is renowned to dismantle batting line-ups with his prodigious swing. In the IPL, the 30-year-old has been a wrecker-in-chief for the Chennai Super Kings and has taken 59 wickets in 63 matches at an economy of 7.80. Chahar has continued the good work for the Men in Blue and in nine ODIs the ace pacer has featured in, he has taken 15 wickets at an economy of 6.01. Besides, the bowling might Chahar brings to the table, he is no muck with the bat either. He has smashed 180 runs in the 50-overs format including two half-centuries. The bowling all-rounder will fancy his chances in the conditions of New Zealand which will suit his style of bowling. 10. Yuzvendra Chahal Yuzvendra Chahal has been a strike force with the ball in the white-ball format. He is a wily customer and is known to bamboozle batters with his variations. In the ODIs, he has featured in 67 games and picked 118 wickets at an economy of 5.22. Chahal bowls with a lot of heart and is unfazed by batsmen trying to take him on. His wicket-taking ability makes him a vital cog in the Indian setup. Though the leg-spinner might be expensive at times, but this is a trade-off for the number of breakthroughs he can offer. The 32-year-old has been quite sensational in New Zealand as far as the 50-overs format goes. He has played seven ODIs and bagged 15 scalps at an economy of 5.31. Chahal will again be banked upon to deliver the goods in the forthcoming series against the Blackcaps. 11. Arshdeep Singh Arshdeep Singh has taken giant strides in the T20 circuit in the last year so. From being a promising fast bowler playing for Punjab Kings to being India’s go-to bowler at the grandest stage of them all, the 23-year-old has come quite a long way. The left-arm pacer has made 17 appearances for the Men in Blue in the shortest format and bagged 28 wickets at an economy of 8.17. He has been exceptional with the new ball flustering batters with his swing and when it comes to the fag end of the innings, he nails yorkers at will making him tough to get away. Arshdeep has lighted the T20 carnival in Australia with his impeccable performances. In the four matches played thus far, he has picked nine wickets at an economy of 8.25. He has filled the shoes of Jasprit Bumrah quite perfectly and has been key to India’s improved bowling displays in the marquee tournament. Given the ace pacer’s exponential rise, it is likely he will be making his ODI debut in the encounter against the Blackcaps.

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NZ vs IND ODI series 2022: Predicted India Playing XI vs New Zealand

BCCI announced India's squad for the white-ball tour of New Zealand on October 31.

3. Shreyas Iyer

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