India Welcomes Nitish Kumar Reddy as New Zealand Opts to Bowl First in Second ODI

Match Preview: India vs New Zealand ODI

Rajkot: In the second ODI at Niranjan Shah Stadium, India has included seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy in their lineup after New Zealand won the toss and chose to bowl.

India currently leads the three-match series 1-0, following their victory in the first match held in Vadodara. Reddy steps in for Washington Sundar, who is sidelined due to a left rib injury and will be evaluated by the BCCI medical staff.

Captain Shubman Gill expressed a preference for batting first, citing the conditions from previous matches. He noted, "The surface tends to slow down as the innings progresses, making it advantageous to bat first. I felt in good form during the last game, and I aim to build on that performance today."

Gill highlighted the importance of the middle overs in their last match, where the fast bowlers effectively took wickets, helping to regain control of the game.

On the other hand, New Zealand has introduced left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox, who replaces leg-spinner Adithya Ashok. Captain Michael Bracewell remarked on the pitch's quality and expressed hope that dew would aid batting later in the evening.

Bracewell praised his team's effort in the previous match and emphasized the learning experience for the younger players in front of a large crowd, stating, "It's a unique challenge, especially with 40,000 fans supporting the home team, but we are eager to embrace it."

Playing XIs

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna.

New Zealand: Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell (captain), Zakary Foulkes, Jayden Lennox, Kyle Jamieson, and Kristian Clarke.