Sat Jan 03 01:50:00 UTC 2026: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pandya and Bumrah Likely to Be Rested for New Zealand ODIs, Focus on T20 World Cup

[City, State] – [Date] – Key Indian cricketers Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are expected to be rested for the upcoming three-match One Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand, sources confirmed to [Your News Outlet Name]. The decision is reportedly aimed at prioritizing their fitness and readiness for more crucial assignments, most notably the T20 World Cup.

While the duo will likely sit out the ODIs, which begin on January 11th in Baroda, they are slated to return for the subsequent five-match T20 International (T20I) series against the same opponent. The T20I series kicks off on January 21st in Nagpur and continues through January 31st in Thiruvananthapuram.

“The team management has decided to ensure Pandya and Bumrah, both vital players in India’s T20 World Cup plans, are kept fresh for the T20Is,” a source familiar with the situation revealed.

Pandya, a white-ball specialist, has been sidelined from ODIs since March due to fitness concerns, while Bumrah’s workload is being carefully managed given his importance to the team. He hasn’t played an ODI since the 2023 World Cup final.

Meanwhile, other Indian stars are using domestic cricket to prepare for international duties. Virat Kohli is set to play in Delhi’s Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) match on January 6th before joining the ODI squad. Rohit Sharma has already completed his VHT obligations for Mumbai. Shreyas Iyer, recovering from injury, may feature in Mumbai’s VHT match on January 3rd to test his fitness, though his ODI selection remains uncertain.

The ODI squad is expected to be announced around January 4th or 5th. Yashasvi Jaiswal, recovering from an illness, is expected to join Mumbai’s squad and play in a couple of VHT games before joining the ODI squad, which will assemble in Baroda on January 7th. Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube, meanwhile, will join the Mumbai squad soon.

Pandya is also expected to participate in the Vijay Hazare games for Baroda, fulfilling the BCCI’s mandatory domestic participation requirements.

Stay tuned for further updates on the ODI squad announcement and team selections.

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