Shreyas Iyer will take charge of the Indian cricket team for the remaining two ODIs against New Zealand after Shubman Gill leaves the squad to prepare for the upcoming Test series. Wicket-keeper batsman KL Rahul and pacer Anshul Kamboj have also left the ODI squad to join the Test preparations.
Kishan Appointed Vice-Captain
Iyer was named vice-captain for the first three ODIs and will now lead India in the fourth and fifth matches. Ishan Kishan has been appointed vice-captain for the remaining two games. The leadership change was part of the squad announcement made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on October 16.
India Lead Series
India currently lead the five-match ODI series 2-0. The Men in Blue won the first two matches, while the third ODI in Hamilton was abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled. Iyer will now have the responsibility of leading the side as India look to seal the series in the fourth ODI on Friday.
Test Preparations
Gill, Rahul and Kamboj will focus on preparing for the two-match Test series against New Zealand, which begins on November 19 in Wellington. The players will get an opportunity to fine-tune their preparations for the red-ball format after featuring in the opening three ODIs.
Updated Squad
Iyer will have the experience of senior batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the team as he takes up the captaincy responsibility. The squad for the final two ODIs also includes Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj among others.
The fourth ODI will be played at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on November 13, followed by the fifth and final match on November 15 at the same venue. This will be Iyer's first assignment as India's ODI captain and he will look to make a winning start to his leadership stint.
