India assemble in Vadodara ahead of first ODI vs New Zealand
The Indian ODI squad, led by Shubman Gill, has started arriving in Vadodara ahead of the first match against New Zealand on January 11. Senior stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have already joined the camp, while four players are scheduled to arrive after finishing their Vijay Hazare Trophy commitments.
Who’s joining late and why
Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj and Rishabh Pant were not part of the initial group that reached Baroda. The quartet remained involved in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on January 7, delaying their arrival for India’s limited-overs assignment.
- Rishabh Pant captained Delhi against Haryana in Bengaluru before linking up with the national side.
- Shreyas Iyer led Mumbai against Punjab in Jaipur and is expected to return to the India squad for the first ODI after recent successful outings.
- Ravindra Jadeja turned out for Saurashtra against Gujarat at Alur in Karnataka.
- Mohammed Siraj played for Hyderabad in Rajkot versus Jammu and Kashmir.
Domestic knock-on effects
With Pant away in the national squad, Delhi named Ayush Badoni as their stand-in skipper for the Vijay Hazare fixture. Mumbai handed the armband to Siddesh Lad in Iyer’s absence. Both teams—Delhi and Mumbai—along with Saurashtra have already secured quarter-final berths in the tournament, while Hyderabad have been eliminated.
Shreyas Iyer’s comeback story
Shreyas Iyer’s return to international contention is one of the positive subplots. He suffered a serious spleen injury while diving for a catch in Sydney during last year’s ODI series against Australia, an incident that required hospital treatment for internal bleeding. After a long rehabilitation period, Iyer has come back to domestic cricket strong, scoring 82 against Himachal Pradesh and 45 against Punjab, and appears set to feature in India’s opening ODI.
Series schedule and venues
Vadodara will host the first men’s international at the venue in over 15 years on January 11. The second ODI is scheduled for Rajkot on January 14, while the three-match series will conclude at Holkar on January 18.
What this means for India
Having experienced campaigners like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the dressing room gives the young Gill-led side stability, while the late arrivals from the Vijay Hazare Trophy should add depth and match sharpness. The management will monitor fitness and form closely before finalizing the playing XI for the first ODI.
India’s ODI squad
Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal