Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer (Image credit: Agencies)
The coaching team will also be split, with head coach Gautam Gambhir staying back for the fourth and fifth ODIs scheduled on November 13 and 15 at Mount Maunganui in Tauranga. The first Test will start on November 19, giving the players only a few days between the final ODI and the start of the red-ball series. The BCCI had announced separate squads for the first three and final two ODIs to manage the workload of key players ahead of the Test series.
The team will have a change in leadership for the final two ODIs. Shreyas Iyer will captain India after Shubman Gill led the side in the first three matches. Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Anshul Kamboj will not feature in the final two ODIs. They were selected only for the first three matches and will now head to Wellington to prepare for the Test series. The two Tests are important for India’s chances of reaching the World Test Championship final. The team management will want its key players to be fresh for the series. Shreyas Iyer, Rohit Sharma , Virat Kohli , Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav were part of the squad for the first three ODIs. They will remain available for selection in the final two matches. Gill was named captain for the first three matches, while Iyer was appointed captain for the last two. Iyer was vice-captain in the first three ODIs, while Kishan was named deputy for the final two.