IND vs NZ | Shreyas Iyer ruled out from ODI series due to back injury

After beating Sri Lanka by a clean sweep in the recent ODI series, they will host New Zealand for a three-match ODI series. The team is in tremendous form as they have defeated multiple sides in white-ball cricket in recent times. However, they have suffered a blow ahead of the commencement of the series as Shreyas Iyer will miss the first ODI due to a back injury against the Blackcaps. The BCCI revealed that the batter will miss the series and Rajat Patidar will replace him for the series.

“Team India batter Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the upcoming 3-match ODI series against New Zealand due to a back injury. He will be heading to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for further assessment and management. The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Rajat Patidar as a replacement for Shreyas Iyer,” read the BCCI release. 

Shreyas recently registered scores of 28, 28, and 38 against Sri Lanka. However, Rajat Patidar has been in impressive form in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season scoring 438 runs from five matches including one century and three fifties. 

Also, with Shreyas not available for the game, Suryakumar Yadav might get a chance to cement his place in the ODIs. He will join hands with Hardik Pandya in the middle order to steer the run rate in the middle phase. 

India will play the first ODI of the series on January 18 in Hyderabad from 1:30 PM IST. 

India’s updated ODI squad against New Zealand: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Rajat Patidar, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, KS Bharat (wk), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik.