India announced squad for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand
Hardik Pandya was left out despite his maiden List A century as he isn’t cleared to bowl a full 10-over ODI spell
The BCCI is managing his workload with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup coming up
India have announced their squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series agianst New Zealand, starting on January 11. Veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be back in action alongwith the return of the regular India's ODI skipper Shubman Gill.
Apart from that, Mohammed Siraj is also back in the squad, however, there's still no place for Mohammed Shami. There's also one major omission that has grabbed headlines among fans. Despite a stunning performance in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 today, against Vidarbha, Hardik Pandya has been left out of the ODI squad.
Why Was Hardik Pandya Left Out After Scoring a Maiden List A Century?
Hardik Pandya’s name missing from India’s ODI squad is all the more surprising because the Indian all-rounder produced a breathtaking display in the Vijay Hazare Trophy earlier today.
Representing Baroda against Vidarbha, Pandya scored his first-ever List A century, a blistering 133 off 92 balls that included 11 sixes and massive hits like five sixes in a single over, rescuing his side from a precarious 71/5 to a competitive total.
Yet despite this heroics with the bat, he was not selected for the ODI series. The reason, according to the BCCI’s official workload management strategy, is straightforward, that states, "Hardik Pandya has not been cleared by the BCCI COE to bowl 10 overs in a match and considering the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to follow, his workload is being managed."
Pandya’s bowling fitness has been a long-running discussion point throughout his career, especially following past injuries and the need to balance his all-round role.
The BCCI’s statement underscores that although Pandya is in tremendous batting form, the selectors don’t want to risk overexertion or injury by asking him to fulfill a bowling role he isn’t currently cleared for.
India's squad for New Zealand ODI series
Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC)*, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal
Shreyas Iyer’s availability is subject to fitness clearance from BCCI COE.
