Overview
- Siraj has been named in India's 15 for the three ODIs against New Zealand, which begin January 11 in Vadodara.
- Irfan Pathan urged India to use Siraj regularly with the new ball in ODIs as a long-term option for the 2027 World Cup.
- Jasprit Bumrah is rested for workload management, and Pathan noted he has not played an ODI since the 2023 World Cup final.
- The pace group for the series includes Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna, with Pathan suggesting Kuldeep Yadav could replace one seamer, likely Arshdeep or Rana.
- Mohammed Shami is not in the squad after limited ODI appearances since 2023, intensifying discussion about India’s next senior new-ball option.