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Shubman Gill-led India will look to seal the three-match series with a second win in a row when they lock horns with New Zealand in the 2nd ODI at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Wednesday, January 14. India clinched a thriller by 4 wickets in the series opener in Vadodara to go 1-0 up in the series and will be hoping to take an unassailable lead in Rajkot.
While all eyes will once again be on the senior duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who continue to headline India's dominance in ODIs with consistent performances, India will be hoping to continue the momentum against Michael Bracewell-led BlackCaps.
Kohli continued his record-shattering run and starred in India's successful 301-run chase in the 1st ODI against the Kiwis in Vadodara with a splendid knock of 93 runs. Meanwhile, Rohit looked in fine form at the top enroute to his 26-run knock despite not getting a big score.
The likes of skipper Shubman Gill (56), Shreyas Iyer (49) and KL Rahul (29) also played vital knocks to play their part in India's close victory. With the batting line-up wearing a settled look, there is unlikely to be any change in the top five. However, India will have to make a forced change after Washington Sundar's injury.
Ayush Badoni was roped in as a surprise replacement after Sundar was ruled out of the remaining two ODIs due to a strain. However, it remains to be seen if the Delhi all-rounder will make the cut in the playing XI for the 2nd ODI in Rajkot on Wednesday. He is facing competition from Nitish Reddy, who is likely to be the preferred option in Sundar's absence.
Reddy is more experienced, and India might opt for him to strengthen their lower middle order. However, Badoni can be a viable option if the team management wants an extra spin option in the line-up. If Badoni fails to make the cut, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja will be the only spinners in India's playing XI.
The pacer attack is unlikely to be tinkered with as Harshit Rana continues to perform well. Mohammed Siraj will lead the pace battery consisting of Rana, Prasidh Krishna and Reddy.
India's predicted XI for the 2nd ODI against New Zealand:
Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
