Having stirred a debate after being left out despite his world record double hundred, Ishan Kishan is expected be back in the playing eleven, albeit in a different batting position, when India face a stern test against New Zealand in the three-match ODI series, beginning here Wednesday.
Kishan had to sit out of the Sri Lanka series despite scoring the fastest double hundred in the history of ODIs, against Bangladesh in the preceding series.
Shubman Gill, who was rewarded for his consistency and picked ahead of Ishan to open alongside skipper Rohit Sharma, made the most of the opportunities with scores of 70, 21 and 116 in the Sri Lanka series.
No changes are expected to the opening combination against the Black Caps but KL Rahul's unavailability due to personal reasons opens up a slot for Kishan as he is also expected to keep wickets.
Kishan has batted in the middle-order thrice in the 10 ODIs he has played, therefore the adjustment should not be an issue.
KS Bharat, who is the second wicketkeeper in the squad, is likely to warm the bench as he is more of a cover in Rahul's absence.
In a World Cup year, every game is significant and India would aim to build on the gains from the Sri Lanka series though the performance of their opponents was underwhelming to say the least.
The big takeaways for India from the Sri Lanka series was the performance of the top three and Mohammed Siraj's ability to pick up wickets with the new ball.
Like Gill and Virat Kohli, Rohit also looked in sublime touch with scores of 83 and 42 but would like to get a big hundred which has also eluded him for some time now.
Kohli though is back to scoring hundreds at will and looks hungrier for runs more than ever, which should set the alarm bells ringing in the New Zealand camp.
Shreyas' absence could be boon for 'SKY'
While he was one of India's steady batters in ODIs in 2022, Shreyas Iyer failed to convert his starts in three games as scores of 28, 28 and 38 would suggest.
If Iyer is unable to play any part in the series due to a reported back issue, the indomitable Suryakumar Yadav will get at least three chances to cement his place in the side. Surya and Hardik Pandya in the middle order will surely add firepower at the back-end.