IND vs NZ: 'Next in line' Ruturaj Gaikwad to be picked in India's squad for New Zealand ODIS only if...

Ruturaj Gaikwad was overlooked in India’s ODI squad against New Zealand after Shreyas Iyer made a comeback in the side following his injury.

Although Ruturaj Gaikwad did not find a place in India’s squad for the ODI series against New Zealand, he still has a chance to make it to the side. However, his addition depends upon Shreyas Iyer’s fitness.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s squad for the ODI series against New Zealand on Saturday, January 3. The Governing body overlooked Gaikwad despite the right-handed batsman delivering an impressive performance in the previous campaign against South Africa.

Gaikwad, who was picked following Iyer’s absence in the series and batted at the number four slot, hammered his maiden ODI century in the second game of the three-match series. But, with vice-captain Iyer being back meant, Gaikwad had to make the way. However, Iyer’s availability will depend upon clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE).

After recovering from his spleen injury, Iyer checked into the BCCI facility last month and was expected to be released on December 30. However, the medical team advised him to undergo one more week of rehabilitation to regain his lost weight.

Now, Iyer has been named in Mumbai’s squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025-26 for the upcoming games against Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

A BCCI official told Cricbuzz that Iyer is almost certain to feature in the ODI series against New Zealand as he is 99% per cent to play.

“He is almost there. He should be available 99 per cent for the first game itself. The one per cent doubt from the COE is whether he can come through the 100 overs, and it will be ascertained in the Vijay Hazare game,” a BCCI source told Cricbuzz.

Ruturaj Gaikwad to feature in IND vs NZ ODI series if Shreyas Iyer fails to prove his fitness

Hence, if Iyer proves his fitness in the upcoming games for Mumbai, he is highly likely to get the nod to play against New Zealand. However, if he suffers any fitness concerns, Gaikwad will get a chance as he is the next in line to grab Iyer’s number four batting position.

Meanwhile, Shubman Gill has returned to captain India in the ODI series against New Zealand after missing the South Africa ODIs due to a neck injury. The ODI squad is going to assemble in Vadodara on January 7, four days ahead of the first game on January 11 in the city.

India’s ODI squad for New Zealand series:

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

Note: *Shreyas Iyer’s availability is subject to fitness clearance from BCCI COE.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.