The Pragyan Ojha-led senior men's selection committee has named Auqib Nabi as a replacement for an unfit Prasidh Krishna for the first three ODIs of the series against New Zealand. Nabi was already part of the squad for the fourth and fifth ODIs of the series.
On October 30, Krishna was ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand. The pacer's participation was subject to clearance, and he is yet to recover fully from a hamstring injury. He will now play in the third and final unofficial Test against New Zealand A if he gets a Return to Play (RTP) nod from the BCCI's Centre of Excellence.
Also, Mohammed Siraj was added to the India A squad for the second four-day game against New Zealand A, which would mean that he is likely to miss the ODI series opener on November 4.
It is yet to be seen whether Nabi gets a chance in the team straightaway or not. The Jammu & Kashmir pacer played the first four-day game against New Zealand A and claimed three wickets each in both innings. He also contributed with a 38-run cameo in the second innings.
With Siraj unavailable for the ODI series opener, Shubman Gill’s pace-bowling options are Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh and Nabi. Also, Nitish Kumar Reddy is only available for the ODI series opener, as he’ll play the third four-day game against New Zealand A. It is a possibility that the team management looks at Nabi to contribute with the bat down the order. If he doesn’t play the series opener, he may fill in for Reddy in the remainder of the ODI series.
India’s updated ODI squad for the first three ODIs:
Shubman Gill [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer [VC], KL Rahul [WK], Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy (only for the first ODI), Auqib Nabi.
India’s ODI squad for fourth and fifth ODIs:
Shreyas Iyer [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav.
Nabi’s ODI debut
The red-ball specialist is yet to make his Test debut. But he got to make his ODI debut on a lifeless pitch against West Indies in Guwahati. He was wicketless on his ODI debut and conceded 84 runs from 8.5 overs. West Indies posted 405/7 on the board, but skipper Shubman Gill scored an unbeaten 223, leading the side to a comfortable eight-wicket win.
Nabi’s List A record
From 37 List A appearances, Nabi has 56 wickets, averaging 28.87, including three four-wicket hauls. With the bat, he has 572 runs from 30 innings at an average of 27.23 and a strike rate of 111.71, including an unbeaten 114.
No Tests for Nabi in New Zealand
Currently, Nabi is not part of the Test squad. On the previous tour, he was picked as an injured Jasprit Bumrah's replacement but did not get a game in Sri Lanka. Before travelling to New Zealand, Nabi had played the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 opener for Jammu & Kashmir, where he claimed four wickets and scored an unbeaten 30 in the second innings against Madhya Pradesh. Before his ODI debut, he had played a couple of games for Surrey, where he claimed eight wickets in two games, featuring a four-fer against Glamorgan. He couldn't contribute much with the bat in four innings.
Nabi's skills with the new ball in swinging conditions can come in handy in New Zealand. If Krishna can't recover from the Test series or someone else faces fitness issues, the 29-year-old pacer can find himself in the mix again. Otherwise, he can either remain with the team as a net bowler or return to play in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2026.
India's ODI team's bowling experience for series opener
In the absence of a rested Jasprit Bumrah and Siraj likely to be unavailable, Gill's pace options are Kamboj, Brar, Arshdeep, Nabi and Reddy. Arshdeep's previous ODI appearance was against England at Lord's. The left-arm pacer has 30 wickets from 18 ODIs at an average of 25.16, including a fifer and a four-fer.
Like Nabi, Kamboj made his ODI debut against the West Indies recently. He remained wicketless in the third ODI and went for 82 runs in nine overs. From 36 List A games, he has 56 wickets, averaging 23.87, featuring four four-fers.
Brar has played nine ODIs so far. He made his ODI debut against Afghanistan a few months ago. He has 14 wickets at an average of 41.50. His economy rate is unimpressive too, at 7.17 runs per over.
Reddy has played eight ODIs and taken three wickets at an average of 91.33. His economy rate is on the higher side at 7.40 runs per over.
However, if Siraj is available for the ODI series opener, it will add immense experience to the pace attack. Siraj has 77 wickets from 51 ODIs at an average of 25.67, featuring one five-wicket haul and two four-fers. He is yet to play an ODI on New Zealand soil.
New Zealand's squad vs India for 1st three ODIs:
Mitchell Santner (C), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham (WK), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Will Young.
The hosts will be hoping that Matt Henry regains his fitness for the ODI series. He sustained an injury in the second T20I of the ongoing five-T20I series.
New Zealand's squad vs India for 4th and 5th ODIs:
Mitchell Santner (C), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Kristian Clarke, Jacob Duffy, Matt Fisher, Lockie Ferguson
Mitch Hay (WK), Nick Kelly, Tim Seifert (WK), Blair Tickner, Will Young.