India have once again made a big change to their ODI squad against New Zealand. As CricInformer reported earlier, Auqib Nabi has now been brought in as the replacement for the injured Prasidh Krishna, giving the Jammu and Kashmir pacer an opportunity across the five-match series.
India have played some strong cricket on this tour, but injuries continue to affect their plans. Prasidh’s absence is a significant setback. His pace and ability to extract bounce could have troubled New Zealand’s batters, much as Mayank Yadav has done during the T20I series.
Prasidh has been recovering from a hamstring injury and needs more time to build the workload required for competitive cricket. His selection was subject to fitness clearance, but he will now miss the ODI series, which begins on November 4.
Auqib Nabi earns his opportunity after strong performances
Nabi was initially selected only for the fourth and fifth ODIs. His inclusion for the entire series gives India another seam-bowling option following Prasidh’s withdrawal.
The Jammu and Kashmir bowler has built his case through sustained domestic success. He took 44 wickets in the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy, finishing as the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker.
He followed that with an even better campaign in 2025–26, taking 60 wickets as Jammu and Kashmir won their first Ranji Trophy title. He finished as the competition’s leading wicket-taker and was named Player of the Series.
His performances included match figures of 12/110 against Madhya Pradesh in the quarter-final and 5/54 against Karnataka in the final. These were contributions in matches where the pressure was highest.
Six wickets against New Zealand A strengthen his case
Nabi has already shown what he can offer in New Zealand conditions. In the first unofficial Test against New Zealand A in Lincoln, he took 3/69 in the first innings and 3/28 in the second, finishing with six wickets.
His second-innings spell helped put the hosts under early pressure. India A eventually finished one wicket short of victory as New Zealand A held on for a draw at 187/9.
Nabi also contributed 38 runs in India A’s second innings, showing that he can provide useful support with the bat.
That performance matters because it came in the same country where India will play the ODI series. He has already had time to adjust to the conditions and demonstrate his ability to move the ball.
A chance to move beyond a difficult ODI debut
Nabi’s international debut against West Indies in Guwahati on September 30 was a difficult introduction. On a surface that offered little relief to the bowlers, he conceded 84 runs in 8.5 overs without taking a wicket as West Indies scored 405/7.
It was an outing he would want to move past. His response against New Zealand A showed why one expensive debut should not define his ability.
His control of line and length, combined with movement through the air and off the pitch, could make him particularly useful with the new ball. If conditions offer assistance, he has the tools to challenge batters without relying only on pace.
His batting provides another option lower down the order. Alongside his recent India A contribution, he has a Vijay Hazare Trophy century against Hyderabad to his name.
For the Jammu and Kashmir pacer, this is an opportunity to turn strong domestic performances into a more regular place in India’s ODI plans.
India’s updated ODI squads against New Zealand
First three ODIs: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Auqib Nabi and Nitish Kumar Reddy (first ODI only).
Fourth and fifth ODIs: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (vice-captain and wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav.
