New Zealand Tour: Squad selection today, Hardik to be back for white ball leg

New Delhi/Mumbai : The Indian teams for the New Zealand tour will be picked in Mumbai on Sunday and the T20I team will leave for New Zealand on January 20, a day after the final ODI between India and Australia at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on January 19. Virat Kohli and boys will play five T20 Internationals, three ODIs and two Test matches against the Black Caps.

Speaking to IANS, sources in the know of developments said that while the squads will be named on Sunday, the boys will leave immediately after the third ODI between India and Australia in the Garden City.

"The selectors will name the squads on Sunday and the T20 team will be leaving the day after the third ODI game between India and Australia.

They will fly from Bengaluru itself as it makes more sense logistically. No point in the team dispersing after the Australia game and then regrouping again and heading to New Zealand," the source said.

It is believed that Hardik Pandya will return to the Indian team for the T20I series after having undergone rehabilitation for the back surgery he underwent in October.

Pandya has already been named in the India 'A' team which is playing a shadow tour - now the norm with the Indian team's planning process whenever the senior team tours a country.

Speaking to IANS after he started his rehab, Pandya had hinted that he was looking at the New Zealand tour to make a comeback into the national team with an eye on the World T20 that will be played at the end of the year in Australia.

"I will be coming back before the New Zealand series, mid-way actually. That was the plan that I play some international games, the IPL and then the World T20. The biggest concern was the World T20 which touch wood is now in place.

"I was managing the back, tried everything possible not to get into surgery or anything. After trying everything, we came to the conclusion that it wasn't working.

I noticed that I was not able to give my 100 per cent and that meant I was not doing justice to myself and the team. That is when I decided to go for the surgery," he had explained.

"About Hardik, it's only about checking out if he is fully fit for international cricket or not. He is very integral to India's World T20 plans," a senior BCCI official, privy to selection matters, told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

It will be interesting to note if the ODI team is an extension of the T20 squad. The weakest link in the ODI team is Kedar Jadhav, who has managed to hold onto his 50 over slot amid pressure to replace him.

In New Zealand, Jadhav's technical frailties could be exposed and his lack of overs in recent times makes him a case for exclusion.

In case the Indian team looks for technical solidity, Ajinkya Rahane could make a comeback, but if the team management is thinking in terms of treating 50 over games as an extension of T20 series, Mumbai player Suryakumar Yadav's explosive power hitting at No. 5 or 6 could be an option.

Both Surya and Sanju Samson are in the A squad. The Test squad wears a very settled look with the only contention being the third opener's slot.

Picked as a reserve for the home series, the young Shubman Gill deserves to be the third opener, but K L Rahul's current form and experience in Test cricket could also be considered.

The selectors will also deliberate on if a third spinner (Kuldeep Yadav) is needed for the two-match Test series instead of a fifth pacer (Navdeep Saini) to accompany Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Ishant

Sharma.

The rest automatically pick themselves in case there are no fitness issues.