Kohli and Rohit have not lacked match practice, having turned out in the Vijay Hazare Trophy league stage and piled on the runs, reinforcing their enduring value in the format. Their performances have ensured that India enter the series with confidence at the top of the order.
Attention will also be on captain Shubman Gill, whose return comes amid scrutiny after his omission from the T20 World Cup squad. Injuries limited his involvement against South Africa late last year, and his response in this series could be crucial. Gill’s inclusion is likely to push Yashasvi Jaiswal out of the top order, despite the latter scoring his maiden ODI century in the previous series.
The comeback of Shreyas Iyer is expected to bring stability to the middle order, with the 31-year-old set to reclaim his preferred No. 4 position after a phase of experimentation. KL Rahul is likely to continue in the dual role of wicketkeeper and lower-order batter after Rishabh Pant ruled of the series due to injury.
The series opener marks the first men’s international at the new Baroda Cricket Association Stadium in Kotambi.
For New Zealand, the series offers a platform to test depth despite missing several frontline players. Mitchell Santner is sidelined with a groin injury, Tom Latham is away for family reasons and Kane Williamson is on SA20 duty. Michael Bracewell will captain the side, with eyes on Kyle Jamieson, Adithya Ashok and a batting group that still features Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will Young and Glenn Phillips.
Teams (from):
India: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana.
New Zealand: Michael Bracewell (c), Devon Conway (wk), Mitchell Hay (wk), Nick Kelly, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Josh Clarkson, Zak Foulkes, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Jayden Lennox, Michael Rae.