No Bumrah, No Hardik? India Set to Rest Star Due for New Zealand ODIs

India is likely to rest Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand. Indian Team Management is focusing on the bigger picture as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is just a few weeks ahead. However, both players are expected to play the five-match T20 series against New Zealand.

Both Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are the key players for the T20 World Cup 2026, and they had injuries in recent times; therefore, they are rested as part of workload management. The Three-match ODI series against New Zealand is scheduled to be played on January 11 in Vadodara, January 14 in Rajkot, and January 18 in Indore.

India’s ODI Squad is likely to be announced around January 3 or 4, 2026. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will return for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand after playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. Both players are in exceptional form, and they are expected to continue the same performances against New Zealand.

Why Bumrah and Hardik are Likely to be Rested?

According to the latest reports, the Indian team management does not want to risk Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya in the IND vs NZ ODI series, which is less important compared to the T20 World Cup 2026.

Both players have a history of injuries, and their fitness is being closely monitored. Jasprit Bumrah has not played an ODI match since the 2023 World Cup Final, while Hardik Pandya has not played any ODI game since the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

All Eyes on IND vs NZ T20I Series 2026

Bumrah and Pandya are unlikely to play the IND vs NZ ODIs, but both are expected to play the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. The IND vs NZ T20I series is important for both teams to prepare and test their bench strength before the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026.

India vs New Zealand 2026 Schedule

India Probable ODI Squad vs New Zealand

Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant,Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja,  KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh.

India T20I Squad vs New Zealand

Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

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