IND vs NZ, 1st ODI: Ishan Kishan to play in middle-order, confirms Rohit Sharma

Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan will be back in India's playing XI, albeit will bat in the middle-order when India take on New Zealand in the three-match ODI series, says captain Rohit Sharma.

The Indian cricket team will be without the services of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer in the ODI series against New Zealand. Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav are going to fill in the gap in India.

Kishan had to miss the Sri Lanka series despite scoring the fastest double-century in ODI history against Bangladesh in the previous series. Shubman Gill, who was chosen ahead of Ishan to open alongside skipper Rohit Sharma, made the most of his opportunities in the Sri Lanka series, scoring 70, 21 and 116.

No changes to the opening combination are expected against the Black Caps, but KL Rahul's absence



due to personal reasons opens up a slot for Kishan, who is also expected to keep wickets.

Kishan has batted in the middle order three times in his ten ODIs, so the transition should be easy. KS Bharat, who is the second wicketkeeper in the squad, is likely to warm the bench as he is more of a cover in Rahul's absence.

Every game counts in a World Cup year, and India would like to build on their gains from the Sri Lanka series, despite their opponents' underwhelming performance.

The top three performances and Mohammed Siraj's ability to pick up wickets with the new ball were the key takeaways for India from the Sri Lanka series. Rohit looked in sublime touch, like Gill and Virat Kohli, with scores of 83 and 42, but would like to get a big hundred, which has also eluded him for some time now.