Vaibhav Tripathi
A picture of the selectors meeting BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, with VVS Laxman, head of the Centre of Excellence, also present, made the rounds on social media and elsewhere. They met and picked the T20I squad for the New Zealand tour. Contrary to expectations, the ODI squad was not announced. The question was why there had been a delay and, as reported, the selectors wanted to wait for the India A vs Australia A unofficial ODI series to conclude before finalising the squad.
Now that the series is done and dusted, with India A winning it, the selection committee will most likely announce the ODI squad for the New Zealand tour in the coming month. There could be some surprises in the squad, given the short turnaround time between the ODI and Test series.
One of the selectors was in Puducherry for the India A unofficial ODIs. Here, we look at the players who could be called up for the five-match ODI series against New Zealand.
Suryansh Shedge
The uncapped seam-bowling all-rounder earned a surprise call-up to the India A ODI squad for the three-match series. In the first game, he picked up a four-wicket haul — his most notable contribution to the series. His primary skill is batting, so it was good to see Shedge making an impact with the ball. The right-handed batter also scored a fifty in the series.
This all-round effort could help him earn his maiden call-up. Nitish Kumar Reddy is the first-choice seam-bowling all-rounder in Test cricket. If he is left out of the ODI squad to prepare for the Tests, along with some other players, Shedge could come into the equation. The right-arm medium pacer would enjoy bowling in New Zealand conditions.
Yash Thakur
With seven wickets in three games — the most by any bowler in the series — Yash Thakur’s stocks in white-ball cricket are on the rise. Having made his T20I debut earlier this year, Yash could be close to earning an ODI call-up as well.
The Indian think tank will look to preserve its fast bowlers by rotating them to keep the Test regulars fit and fresh. In that scenario, Yash could come into the picture. He has been part of India’s A 50-over team for some time now and has an impressive List A record.
A skiddy pacer with a knack for breaking partnerships, Yash possesses the ability to bowl in all phases of the game. His raw attributes make his case stronger.
Prabhsimran Singh or Kumar Kushagra
If KL Rahul leaves the ODI camp early, India will need a second wicketkeeper alongside Ishan Kishan. For that spot, Prabhsimran Singh and Kumar Kushagra are the two contenders.
Neither had a great series with the bat against Australia A, but both could still be in contention. Prabhsimran has been playing unofficial ODIs for India A for over a year now, while Kushagra has been in the form of his life over the last six months. One of the two could receive a call-up, although there is only an outside chance of that happening.
Vipraj Nigam
Scoring more runs than Ruturaj Gaikwad and picking up a couple of crucial wickets while maintaining a decent economy rate, Vipraj Nigam also had a decent series.
An attacking leg-spinner who is more than a decent batter, Vipraj possesses a skill set that the team management likes. He is a utility cricketer. India do not have an attacking wrist-spinner after Kuldeep Yadav in their ODI team, so Vipraj could be given a chance.
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