Mumbai: After recovering from a serious abdominal injury, India’s ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer is racing against time to make a comeback in the ODI team as the national selection committee led by former India pacer Ajit Agarkar selects the team for the upcoming three-match series against New Zealand at home.The series begins on January 11 in Vadodara and the next two matches will be played on January 14 in Rajkot and January 18 in Indore. It remains to be seen whether Iyer will be selected under the “subject to fitness” clause, just like India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill for the five-match home T20I series against South Africa in December after undergoing rehabilitation for a neck injury. If Iyer makes it, the series could see both the Indian ODI captain and vice-captain return to the squad after missing the previous series against South Africa due to injury.
Gill, who will feature for Punjab along with Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh in the next two Vijay Hazare Trophy games, is expected to return to the ODI group after missing the South Africa series due to injury.Go beyond the limits with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!TOI has learned that Iyer underwent a match simulation at the BCCI’s Center of Excellence (CoE) on Friday and will conduct another one on January 5 before receiving a return to play certificate from the medical team. The 31-year-old could feature for Mumbai in the final game of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Jaipur on January 8 before joining the Indian team in the first ODI in Vadodara.“Shreyas reported to the Center of Excellence on December 25. Since his arrival, he has shown significant improvement in his strength and conditioning and successfully completed four high-intensity skills sessions that included both batting and fielding training. Based on his current physical condition and achievement of rehabilitation milestones, he completed a match simulation session on January 2 and will complete another on January 5 before being cleared to play white-ball formats,” a BCCI source told TOI.
Shreyas Iyer of India looks on from the team bench before game three of the One Day International series between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 25, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ayush Kumar/Getty Images)
Iyer last appeared in the ODI series against Australia in October, where he sustained a serious spleen injury in the third and final match in Sydney, requiring hospitalization. The injury ruled him out of the ODI series against South Africa at home as well as the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai.In his absence, Ruturaj Gaikwad was put on trial at No. 4 and repaid his faith with an 83-ball 105 against South Africa in the second ODI at Raipur.
Will Pant be dropped without a chance?
Selecting the Indian squad for the upcoming ODI series against a second-tier New Zealand side just before the T20 World Cup would normally attract limited attention. However, Agarkar & Co.’s ‘virtual’ selection meet has gained significance amid speculation that India’s Test vice-captain and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant could be dropped despite not playing a single ODI in the last 18 months.
Bengaluru: Delhi’s captain Rishabh Pant plays a shot during the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 cricket match between Gujarat and Delhi at the BCCI Center of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)(PTI12_26_2025_000117B)
Pant’s form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy was patchy, with 121 runs in four games at an average of 30.25, including a fifty. Still, dropping him even as the second wicketkeeper could be seen as harsh considering he last played an ODI on August 7, 2024 against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Pant has been warming the bench in ODIs for over a year now, with KL Rahul being the first-choice wicketkeeper for the 2025 Champions Trophy and the recent home series against South Africa.
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If Pant is left out, the selectors could consider the in-form Dhruv Jurel, who has scored 307 runs in three games at an average of 153.50, including an unbeaten 160 off 101 balls against Baroda. There is also a good case to be made for remembering Ishan Kishan, who recently returned to the Indian T20I team after topping the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy run charts with 517 runs at 57.44, including two hundreds.
Is Shami about to make a comeback?
Looking at managing the workload, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are expected to be rested for the New Zealand series. In their absence, veteran pacer Mohammed Shami could make a comeback. Shami was India’s standout bowler in the last two ODI World Cups, taking 14 wickets in four matches in 2019 and becoming the leading wicket-taker in 2023 with 24 wickets in seven matches.
India pacer Mohammed Shami has a discussion with Bengal team members during a training session at the Maharaja Bir Bikram Stadium in Agartala, Tripura. (PTI Photo)(PTI11_04_2025_000253B)
Since returning from ankle and knee problems, Shami has impressed in domestic cricket, taking 20 wickets in four Ranji games this season, along with strong returns in SMAT and VHT. While selector Agarkar had earlier insisted that Shami was not fit, relations have improved with selector RP Singh holding talks with the pacer during a Ranji match in Kolkata.Devdutt Padikkal’s name could also be up for discussion after his productive run in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but with Shubman Gill back and Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal in form, the Karnataka opener may have to wait.
