India Names Auqib Nabi for Opening Three ODIs Against New Zealand

New Delhi, October 31: Auqib Nabi has been added to India's squad for the first three ODIs in the five-match series against New Zealand. He was already set to play in the fourth and fifth games.

The move follows Prasidh Krishna's inability to fully recover from a hamstring injury. As a result, Nabi has been given a place in the opening three matches as well.

Nabi has so far represented India in a single ODI, against the West Indies. He struggled in that game, conceding 84 runs in 10 overs without taking a wicket.

He is currently in New Zealand, where he took six wickets for India A in the first unofficial Test against New Zealand A.

Krishna is expected to be included in the India A squad for the third unofficial Test, which will be played during the ODI series. The BCCI hopes this match will give him a chance to prepare for the Test series. His playing status, however, will depend entirely on his fitness.

The BCCI had earlier stated that Krishna would need additional time to build the workload required for match readiness. Skipping the ODIs will give him the chance to get match practice and get set for the Tests.

The five-match ODI series between New Zealand and India will take place from November 4 to November 15. It will be followed by two Test matches, beginning November 19.

Updated Indian squad for the first three ODIs against New Zealand: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy (only for the first ODI), and Auqib Nabi.

India's squad for the fourth and fifth ODIs against New Zealand: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper, vice-captain), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, and Kuldeep Yadav.