With seamer Prasidh Krishna out for the five-match ODI series against New Zealand beginning on November 4, India would be without a seasoned fast bowler. The BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) has not yet approved the right-arm bowler, who has not played any competitive cricket since getting hurt midway through the second ODI against the West Indies. On November 1 and 2, Krishna is anticipated to participate in match simulations.
After suffering a hamstring injury during the home series against the West Indies, the Karnataka man is still recuperating. His absence occurs at a critical point in the team’s preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Prasidh has been India’s top ODI wicket-taker in 2026 with 16 wickets in nine games, and he has grown to be an essential member of the Indian ODI team.
Prasidh’s inclusion is seen as more crucial for the two-match Test series that follows the ODI phase, according to News 18. According to a BCCI source, Prasidh would undergo fitness testing and match simulation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru before the BCCI clears him.
According to a Cricbuzz report, Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir want Krishna available for the two Tests. Krishna’s availability for the two Tests provides India a greater opportunity because they are currently in the bottom part of the WTC 2025–27 cycle and the WTC Final qualification is at stake.
However, Krishna would probably participate in the third unofficial Test match from November 6 to 9, which will also include Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant, provided he returns to full fitness in time for some cricket in New Zealand.
News18 quotes a BCCI source saying, “Prasidh is recovering well and he has his match simulation and fitness test lined up at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on November 1 and 2. In any case, the team management as well as national selection committee believes that Prasidh should be fully ready for Tests where he is required more than ODIs.”
Nabi was only selected for the fourth and fifth games of the New Zealand series before making his ODI debut for India in the second game against the West Indies in Guwahati. The Test regulars were rested for the final two games; therefore, he was a member of a second-string team. In the absence of captain Shubman Gill, who will take over for the first three games of the series, T20I captain Shreyas Iyer will captain the team for those two games.
