After a commanding victory in the first ODI, the Indian cricket team will be looking to seal the series against New Zealand in the second game at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Wednesday, January 14. The match will start at 1:30 PM IST.

Led by captain Shubman Gill, India will head into the game brimming with confidence after registering a comprehensive four-wicket win in Vadodara to secure a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

Opting to bowl first, the Men in Blue rode on an all-round bowling performance to restrict the Black Caps to 300/8 in their 50 overs. 

Gujarat Titans’ pace duo of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna were the wreckers-in-chief for the hosts with two wickets each. Speedster Harshit Rana contributed with two important wickets, while left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with one scalp.  

In reply, skipper Gill led from the front with a scintillating half-century, along with Virat Kohli’s magnificent 93, Shreyas Iyer’s quick-fire 49, and KL Rahul’s unbeaten cameo of 29 to help the hosts chase down the target with six balls to spare. 

Meanwhile, India will miss the services of Gujarat Titans’ star all-rounder Washington Sundar, who has been ruled out of the ongoing ODI series after suffering a rib injury in the first game in Vadodara. Uncapped Ayush Badoni has been named as his replacement. 

Players to watch out for

Shubman Gill: Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill made a statement with a sparkling half-century in the series opener on Sunday. The Indian ODI skipper looked in great touch as he scored a match-winning 56, laced with three fours and two maximums. Gill will look to continue his good form in Rajkot.

Mohammed Siraj: India’s pace bowling spearhead Mohammed Siraj delivered an excellent spell at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. The Titans pacer removed Will Young in the middle overs, and later cleaned up Zakary Foulkes at the death to finish with figures of 2/40. Siraj will aim to produce another brilliant spell in the upcoming ODI.

India vs New Zealand ODI head-to-head 

India have a superior head-to-head record against New Zealand in ODI cricket. The Men in Blue have won 63 of the 121 ODIs that have played against the Black Caps. On the other hand, New Zealand have registered 50 wins. One game was tied, while seven ODIs have ended with no result.

India vs New Zealand squads for 2nd ODI

India: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ayush Badoni

New Zealand: Michael Bracewell (captain), Adi Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway (wicket-keeper), Zak Foulkes, Mitchell Hay (wicket-keeper), Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae, Will Young

Upcoming Milestones to keep an eye on 

  • Rohit Sharma is 1 century away from surpassing Sachin Tendulkar for most 100s as an Indian opener.
  • Kuldeep Yadav is 8 wickets away from 200 wickets in ODIs.
  • Shreyas Iyer needs 34 runs to complete 3,000 runs in ODI cricket.
  • Rohit Sharma is 5 runs away from 7,000 runs in Asia in ODIs.
  • Shubman Gill is 126 runs away from 3000 ODI runs. 

Where to watch India vs New Zealand 2nd ODI live 

The India vs New Zealand 2nd ODI will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network’s TV channels.

Live streaming of the IND vs NZ 2nd ODI will be available on the JioHotstar app and website.