India is likely to pursue the opening combination of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in the first ODI against New Zealand. Shubman Gill struck a century in the last ODI against Sri Lanka, and this has guaranteed his place as the first-choice opener alongside Rohit Sharma. However, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are not available for the ODI series against New Zealand, and this has opened the 4th and 5th batting position in Team India.
Ishan Kishan scored two hundred in the last ODI that he played. His partnership with Virat Kohli was epic, and the duo constructed one of the greatest partnerships in the Indian cricket team’s history. However, Kishan is a top-order batter, and it will be hard to accommodate him at number 4 or 5 in the Indian ODI set-up.
The latest rumour is that Team India management has asked Virat Kohli to bat at number 4 to accommodate Kishan at number 3 and provide India with support in the middle overs in the absence of Iyer and Rahul. However, Virat Kohli has been phenomenal at number three in the past few games and moving his position in the batting order can have an adverse effect on his form.
It will be Virat Kohli’s call, in the end, to bat at number three of four, as the management has given him the freedom to decide the matter.