IND vs NZ: Why is KL Rahul Not Playing Today’s India vs New Zealand 1st ODI? Who is India Wicket Keeper?

KL Rahul IND vs NZ: The biggest update from the India camp is that their premier wicket-keeper batsman KL Rahul will not be available for the entire three-match ODI series against New Zealand scheduled to be played at home. India will be facing New Zealand in the first ODI encounter at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on 18 January, 2023. The Men in Blue recently defeated the visiting Sri Lankan team both in the ODIs and T20I series at home.

IND vs NZ: Why is KL Rahul Not Playing Today’s India vs New Zealand 1st ODI? Who is India Wicket Keeper?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated that KL Rahul had asked for rest during the home series against New Zealand due to family commitments and there are also reports that he is very much likely to get married. During the last two ODI series against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Rahul was part of the India playing XI as the wicket-keeper batsman and even scored a match-winning half-century in the second ODI game against the Lankan side. However, India’s skipper Rohit Sharma had already mentioned that they will play Ishan Kishan as the wicket-keeper batsman in the opening ODI match against New Zealand on Wednesday.

“Ishan will be batting middle-order, I’m glad that he can get a run here after a fine knock against Bangladesh,” Indian captain Rohit Sharma said in the pre-match press conference.

IND Playing 11

1. Rohit Sharma (C)
2. Shubman Gill
3. Virat Kohli
4. Ishan Kishan (wk)
5. Suryakumar Yadav
6. Hardik Pandya
7. Washington Sundar
8. Shardul Thakur
9. Kuldeep Yadav
10. Mohammed Shami
11. Mohammed Siraj

India vs New Zealand 2023 Schedule