What change is made in Indian squad for first 3 ODIs vs New Zealand

Prasidh Krishna is suffering with hamstring injury and will be out of the ODI series

Auqib Nabi in action. (FILE photo)

Jammu and Kashmir player Auqib Nabi has been added to the Indian squad against New Zealand for the first three ODIs. The pacer was initially part of the team for the final two games, but on Saturday, the BCCI announced that he will be part of those first three ODIs as well. The seamer will be in the side in place of Prasidh Krishna, who is suffering from a hamstring injury.

The 29-year-old seamer from Baramulla is only the second cricketer from J&K to make it to the national side after Parvez Rasool.

Earlier, Nabi made his debut against West Indies in the 2nd ODI in Guwahati. Nabi claimed 104 wickets across the last two Ranji Trophy seasons, including 60 wickets in the 2025-26 campaign, playing a pivotal role in Jammu and Kashmir’s maiden Ranji Trophy triumph.

Son of a school teacher in Kashmir and good at academics, he had to be selected at a talent hunt to convince his parents to let him play in his final year at U19S. As such, he was a terribly late starter. “Back then, there was no formal coaching really in Baramulla. Now things have changed. So I played my first real red-ball cricket only after 19,” he recalls, of the early days when T20s was all that cricketers around him played. “I happened to accompany a friend for state trials when I was picked.” Till that time, Dale Steyn videos were his virtual coach.

India’s updated ODI squad for the first three ODIs: Shubman Gill [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer [VC], KL Rahul [WK], Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy (only for the first ODI), Auqib Nabi.

India’s ODI squad for fourth and fifth ODIs: Shreyas Iyer [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav