The third and final ODI of the ongoing three-match series between India and New Zealand will be played on Sunday, January 18. For the winner-take-it-all match scheduled to take place at Holkar Stadium
in Indore, Indian team management is expected to make a couple of changes to their playing XI. Senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who has only managed to take one wicket in his five ODI matches for the Men in Blue, could be dropped from the playing XI.
Jadeja, who has remained wicketless in the two matches played so far, had a poor game with the bat as well in Rajkot, for which he faced a lot of criticism from fans on social media.
As his replacement, the Indian team management could consider including Delhi cricketer Ayush Badoni. Badoni, who was added to India’s squad as a replacement for injured Washington Sundar on January 12, is a batting all-rounder who can also contribute with his spin bowling.
The right-handed middle-order batter could be the sixth bowling option for the hosts in the series decider.
In addition to Badoni, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh could also get a game in Indore.
The Punjab-based cricketer is India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, but despite that, Prasidh Krishna was preferred over him for the first two matches. Even though Prasidh was able to take wickets in both the matches played so far, he failed to contain New Zealand batters and looked ineffective the majority of the time.
The team management is unlikely to make changes in the batting unit which includes the likes of Rohit Sharma, captain Shubman Gill, world No. 1 ODI batter Virat Kohli, vice-captain Shreyas Iyer and wicketkeeper KL Rahul.
22-year-old all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy played the second ODI and deserves to get one more game whereas despite leaking 82 runs in his quota of 10 overs, there is no threat to Kuldeep Yadav’s place in the XI.
The Kanpur-based cricketer will look to come up with a big show in the series decider and helped India bag the second ODI series in a row.
India’s likely playing XI for the 3rd ODI against New Zealand: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ayush Badoni, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj
