The BCCI has announced the squad for the India vs New Zealand ODI Series 2026, but the announcement has triggered a massive controversy.
While the squad sees the return of stars like Mohammed Siraj and Shreyas Iyer, the selectors have dropped the in-form opener Ruturaj Gaikwad.
This decision has shocked the cricket fraternity. Why drop a player who scored a Century in his last ODI inning?
The "Ruturaj Gaikwad" Injustice? 💔
Let's look at the stats. Ruturaj Gaikwad has been in the form of his life:
Last ODI Inning: Scored a brilliant Century.
Vijay Hazare Trophy: Back-to-back Century and Fifty.
Despite these "Bradman-esque" numbers in domestic and international circuits, the selectors have ignored him. With Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), and Yashasvi Jaiswal locking the top order, it seems there was no space for Ruturaj. But dropping a match-winner sends a wrong signal.
India's ODI Squad for New Zealand Series 2026
Ignoring the controversy for a moment, here is the 15-member squad selected by the committee:
| Role | Players |
| Captain | Shubman Gill |
| Batters | Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer (VC) |
| Wicket Keepers | KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant |
| All-Rounders | Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy |
| Bowlers | Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna |
Schedule & Venues Confirmed
The action begins in January at these venues:
1st ODI: BCA Stadium, Vadodara
2nd ODI: Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot
3rd ODI: Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore
Missing Stars: Shami also Ignored
Apart from Ruturaj, the veteran pacer Mohammed Shami is also missing from the list despite his consistency. The pace attack looks young with Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna getting the nod over the experience of Shami.
Conclusion
The squad is strong, but the exclusion of Ruturaj Gaikwad is the headline.
Is this fair to Ruturaj? Should he have been picked over a middle-order batter?
Tell us your opinion in the comments! 👇
(Hashtag: #JusticeForRuturaj)
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