India have made one change to their playing XI, with Nitish Kumar Reddy replacing Washington Sundar, who sustained a rib injury during the first ODI in Vadodara and has been ruled out of the remainder of the ODI series.
India’s Nitish Kumar Reddy during a practice session ahead of the second One Day International cricket match against New Zealand, in Rajkot, on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. (Photo: IANS)
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The India vs New Zealand second ODI is underway at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, with the hosts beginning their innings cautiously as they look to build a solid platform.
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India have made one change to their playing XI, with Nitish Kumar Reddy replacing Washington Sundar, who sustained a rib injury during the first ODI in Vadodara and has been ruled out of the remainder of the ODI series.
While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named Ayush Badoni as Sundar’s official replacement in the squad, the youngster has not been included in the playing XI for the second ODI and will have to wait for his maiden international cap.
Earlier, former India captain Kris Srikkanth questioned Gautam Gambhir’s decision to include Badoni in the squad, raising concerns over the selection rationale.
“Out of Axar (Patel), Badoni, Nitish Reddy and (Ruturaj) Gaikwad, which two must really be in the team? Badoni played at LSG and he (Gambhir) was the mentor there. I don’t see any other reason. What else can it be? On what basis? You should have some sense in selection,” Srikkanth said.
Explaining India’s approach and the conditions at the venue, skipper Shubman Gill admitted the team would have preferred to bat first.
“We would actually have preferred to bat first, based on the last few games here. Even yesterday there wasn’t much dew, and the players feel the surface tends to slow down as the innings goes on, so batting first looked the better option. Personally, I felt really good in the last game – the rhythm and fluency were there – and it’s always nice to contribute. Hopefully I can build on that and produce a big one today.
“The middle overs were crucial for us last time. They got off to a decent start, but the way we pulled things back — especially with the fast bowlers picking up wickets in those overs – made a big difference. It’s not always easy in these conditions, but they mixed up their pace and variations really well,” Gill said.
New Zealand, meanwhile, has handed a debut to left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox, who replaces leg-spinner Adithya Ashok in the playing XI. At 31, Lennox becomes one of New Zealand’s oldest ODI debutants. He has featured in 54 List A matches for Central Districts.
Speaking ahead of the contest, New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell highlighted the conditions and the challenge of playing in front of a large home crowd.
“It looks like a really good surface, and hopefully the dew comes into play later in the evening, which should make things a bit nicer for batting under lights.
“The last game was a tight one and I was proud of how the boys fought right till the end. We gave ourselves a chance with a couple of late wickets, and today we’re looking to keep taking wickets through the middle and build that pressure.
“We’ve got a lot of young players in this side, and playing in front of big crowds and all that noise is a great learning experience for them. It’s different conditions for us here, especially with around 40,000 people backing the home side, but it’s a challenge we’re really excited about,” Bracewell said.
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