Arshdeep Singh to Sit Out, Ayush Badoni Set for Debut in India’s Playing XI for Second ODI Against New Zealand

India will face New Zealand in the second ODI at Rajkot on Wednesday, with a possible change in the playing XI. India had won the first ODI in Vadodara by four wickets, and a victory in Rajkot would give Shubman Gill-led team a commanding 2-0 series lead.

Washington Sundar Out, Badoni to Replace
All-rounder Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the remaining two matches of the series due to a bowling injury sustained in the first ODI. In his absence, 26-year-old Ayush Badoni has been included in the squad and is likely to make his ODI debut on Wednesday. Last year, Sundar had batted at No. 5 during India’s home series against South Africa. In the first ODI against New Zealand, he was also expected to bat in the same position, but the injury led the team management to promote Ravindra Jadeja instead.

Badoni: The Perfect All-Rounder Option
With Sundar unavailable, India needed a No. 5 batter who can also contribute with the ball. Badoni fits the role perfectly. While Nitish Kumar Reddy or Dhruv Jurel could have been options, Badoni is expected to be preferred. Reddy is a pace-bowling all-rounder, but India already has three specialist pacers in the lineup, making an additional pacer unnecessary. Jurel, a wicketkeeper-batter, cannot bowl, so choosing him in this context would not be practical.

Badoni has been a strong performer in domestic cricket. In his last Vijay Hazare Trophy match of the 2025-26 season for Delhi against Railways, he picked up three wickets, showcasing his spin-bowling ability alongside his batting.

Arshdeep to Remain on the Bench
The Indian team management does not anticipate any other changes to the playing XI for the second ODI. This means left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh will once again have to sit out.

India’s Probable Playing XI for Second ODI vs New Zealand:
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (Captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ayush Badoni, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna