Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya To Not Play In New Zealand ODI Series? Report Reveals Huge Reason

Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are likely to be rested for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand, according to a report by Cricbuzz. The report claimed that the decision was taken keeping more important assignments in mind, particularly the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, both players are expected to play in the T20I series against the Kiwis. This will be India's last T20I series ahead of the World Cup, and both players are expected to play all five matches to prepare for the competition. Hardik has not played a single ODI since the Champions Trophy final in March this year, while Bumrah has not played an ODI since the 2023 World Cup final.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) Secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar said the association will speak to India batter Shreyas Iyer regarding his availability for the later stages of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. Iyer has been at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) since December 25 for further assessment of his recovery from a serious spleen injury suffered during the third ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in October.

"No, we have not spoken to Shreyas yet. But we will speak to him about his availability. As of now, there is no official confirmation on this, but it may come from him in the next few days," Khanvilkar told IANS on Sunday.

A day before arriving at the CoE in Bengaluru, IANS reported that Iyer had resumed batting after restarting lightweight gym training. He batted for nearly 30-34 minutes at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) nets in Mumbai. A source tracking Iyer's recovery said if all goes well and clearance from the CoE is granted, Iyer could play for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches in Jaipur on January 3 and 6, respectively.

It will be interesting to see if the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee picks Iyer for the three ODIs against New Zealand, starting in Vadodara on January 11. The selection panel is set to meet in the first week of January.

"The progress of Shreyas at the CoE has been good so far. He's targeting the last two Vijay Hazare Trophy games to return to action. It's up to selectors now to decide on his return to the ODI team," the source added.

If Iyer returns to the ODI setup, it will be a major boost for the side as they look to firm up plans for the 2027 World Cup. Following the series opener in Vadodara, India and New Zealand will play the remaining two ODIs in Rajkot and Indore on January 14 and 18, respectively.

(With IANS inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Jasprit Bumrah Hardik Pandya India Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team Cricket