In the thrilling second ODI between Team India and New Zealand, skipper Michael Bracewell won the toss and opted to bowl first at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. Team India comes into this match riding high after a remarkable four-wicket victory in the previous encounter. Meanwhile, the ‘Black Caps’ are keen to clinch a win in Rajkot to keep their hopes alive in the series.
The ‘Men in Blue’ will look to their star player, Virat Kohli, to deliver another stellar performance. In the first ODI, Kohli scored an impressive 93 runs off 91 balls, featuring eight boundaries and a six. On the New Zealand side, they will count on middle-order batsman Daryl Mitchell for stability, who played a pivotal role last match with 84 runs from 71 balls, including five fours and three sixes.
Making his ODI debut for New Zealand is Jayden Lennox.
After winning the toss, Bracewell shared, “We’ll bowl first; it looks like a good surface. I hope the dew comes in later, as it will be good for batting. We fought hard in the last game and gave ourselves a chance. Our focus will be on taking wickets in the middle overs to apply pressure on India’s batting lineup. We’ve made one change, bringing in Jayden Lennox for his debut.”
On the flip side, Indian captain Shubman Gill expressed a preference to bat first. Notably, all-rounder Washington Sundar is sidelined due to injury, allowing Nitish Kumar Reddy to step in for the match. Gill stated, “We would’ve batted first since there’s been no dew in the last few days. After discussing with the players, I believe the wicket will slow down as the match goes on. I felt confident in the middle and hope to contribute significantly today. We’ve made one change: Washi’s out, and Nitish Reddy is in.”
**Confirmed Playing XI**
**India:** 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.
**New Zealand:** Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell (C), Zak Foulks, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Jayden Lennox.