The Indian cricket team is set to face New Zealand in their final Group A match of the ICC Champions Trophy. Having won their last five ODI encounters against New Zealand, India will likely make some alterations to their lineup, allowing bench players to prove their worth. Captain Rohit Sharma’s fitness concerns have subsided, and he will probably open with Shubman Gill. KL Rahul is expected to retain the wicket-keeper position over Rishabh Pant. Mohammed Shami may be rested for Arshdeep Singh, while Varun Chakravarthy is anticipated to replace Kuldeep Yadav in the spin department. India’s likely XI includes Sharma, Gill, Kohli, Iyer, Rahul, Pandya, and Jadeja.
The Indian cricket team is preparing for its final Group A encounter in the ICC Champions Trophy on Sunday against New Zealand. India has performed exceptionally well against the Kiwis, securing victories in all of their last 5 ODI matches against them. Since both teams have already qualified for the Champions Trophy semi-finals, some players may be rested. For the match against New Zealand, India captain Rohit Sharma is anticipated to implement a few changes, allowing bench players to demonstrate their abilities.
Concerns regarding Rohit Sharma’s fitness have dissipated after the captain participated in an extended net session on Friday. He is expected to open the batting alongside the in-form Shubman Gill, with Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer following in the middle order.
It appears that KL Rahul will secure the wicket-keeper position over Rishabh Pant once again. While Pant could have been given a chance behind the stumps, Rahul’s appearance at the pre-match press conference suggests that this switch is unlikely.
Hardik Pandya remains the sole pace-bowling all-rounder in the squad, making him irreplaceable. One of Ravindra Jadeja or Axar Patel might have to make way for Washington Sundar, should the management decide to include the Tamil Nadu all-rounder for this dead rubber.
Mohammed Shami may be rested for this match, with Arshdeep Singh stepping in to replace him. The left-arm pacer has yet to feature in this tournament, as Harshit Rana has been chosen to accompany Shami in the pace attack.
In terms of spin bowling, Varun Chakravarthy is set to take Kuldeep Yadav’s place in the playing XI. Chakravarthy was included in the squad following an outstanding performance in the T20I series against England. This could be an ideal opportunity to test him out, especially since Kuldeep has not yet found his best form in this tournament.
India’s likely playing XI against New Zealand: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel/Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy
Topics mentioned in this article