Bumrah, Hardik likely to be rested for NZ ODIs
Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to be rested for the three ODIs versus New Zealand, considering the more important assignments ahead, particularly the T20 World Cup. Both, though, are expected to return for the five-match T20I series against the touring New Zealanders that immediately follows the one-dayers.
The five T20Is, in Nagpur (on January 21), Raipur (January 23), Guwahati (January 25), Visakhapatnam (January 28) and Thiruvananthapuram (January 31), are preceded by the three ODIs, on January 11 (in Baroda), 14 (Rajkot) and 18 (Indore). Bumrah and Pandya are unlikely to be considered for the one-day matches so that they can remain fresh for the more important T20 fixtures. The ODI squad is expected around January 4-5.
It is understood that the team management has decided that the two players, precious in no small measure in India's T20 World Cup defence, be kept out of the ODIs. Pandya, who only plays white-ball cricket, has not played an ODI since the Champions Trophy final in March due to fitness issues. Bumrah, whose workload is being closely monitored given his value to the side, has not featured in an ODI since the 2023 World Cup final.
Pandya, however, is expected to turn out for Baroda in the ongoing Vijay Hazare games. It is likely that he will feature in the domestic 50-over competition so that he is in compliance with the BCCI diktat of mandatory participation in domestic games. Like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who played for Mumbai and Delhi in the first two VHT games, Pandya may play in two of the last three league matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Baroda, scheduled for January 3, 6 and 8, all in Rajkot.
Meanwhile, a top Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) official confirmed to Cricbuzz that Kohli, who played the first two Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) games for Delhi on December 24 and 26 in Bengaluru, will return for the penultimate league match, to be played on January 6 against Railways at the KSCA ground in Alur. After that, he will join the Indian team for the three ODIs against New Zealand.
Like Kohli, Rohit turned out for Mumbai in the first two VHT games in Jaipur and the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has confirmed that he is done with domestic duties for the season. His next assignment will be the upcoming ODI series. The MCA also confirmed that Yashasvi Jaiswal, laid low due to indisposition lately, will join the Mumbai squad in Jaipur in a day or two. He is expected to play a couple of games before linking up with the ODI squad, which will assemble in Baroda on January 7.
The MCA, though, is not sure about Shreyas Iyer, who has been out of international action due to a spleen injury since late October. But it is learnt that he may show up for Mumbai's game on January 3 against Maharashtra, ahead of the ODI squad selection. Iyer, who has had surgery for the injury and is currently at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), may play the Maharashtra game in Jaipur to test his fitness. At this stage, there is no clarity on whether he will play the ODIs, but sources close to him say he is not leaving anything to chance.
