Prasidh Krishna Ruled Out of New Zealand ODIs as Hamstring Recovery Drags On; Siraj and Nitish Reddy Plans Reshuffled

India will go into their five-match ODI series in New Zealand without fast bowler Prasidh Krishna, who has been ruled out after failing to secure a fitness clearance. The series begins in Auckland on November 4.

Prasidh had been named in the original squad, but his place was always conditional on fitness. He is still recovering from a hamstring injury picked up during India's tour of England and, according to the update on Friday, needs more time to build up the bowling workload required for international cricket.

A route back through India A

Rather than sitting out entirely, Prasidh is expected to join the India A side for the third and final four-day match against New Zealand A, provided he clears the return-to-play assessment. That gives the team management a chance to see him bowl long spells in match conditions before the two-Test series against New Zealand, which begins on November 19 and counts towards the World Test Championship.

Reshuffled plans for Reddy and Siraj

The update also confirmed changes to how India will use two other players across the white-ball and red-ball legs of the tour.

All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy will stay with the ODI squad only for the first match in Auckland. He will then move to the India A group to get red-ball match practice before the Tests.

Mohammed Siraj, who is listed in the ODI squad, will also turn out for India A in the second four-day game, a clear signal that the selectors see the Test series as the priority for their senior pacers.

What it means for the ODI attack

Prasidh's absence thins out an already young pace group. For the first three ODIs under Shubman Gill, the frontline seam options are Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Anshul Kamboj and Gurnoor Brar, with Nitish Kumar Reddy available only for the opener. For the last two games, with Shreyas Iyer taking over as captain, Auqib Nabi and Yash Thakur come into the squad.

With the 2027 ODI World Cup a year away, the series doubles as an audition. Prasidh's height and ability to hit the deck hard had made him a useful fit for bouncy New Zealand pitches, and his absence opens a window for less experienced quicks such as Kamboj and Brar to make a case.

The schedule

The ODIs will be played in Auckland on November 4, Wellington on November 7, Hamilton on November 10, and Mount Maunganui on November 13 and 15. The batting group includes Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the full series.

For Prasidh, the priority now is a clean return through the India A fixture. A strong showing there could put him back in contention for the Test series later in the month.

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