India’s Predicted Playing XI for 4th ODI: Sportsrush presents before you India’s playing XI for the fourth ODI against New Zealand.

Having won the first three ODIs in the ongoing series against New Zealand, India have gained an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. For an overseas team to achieve such a score in New Zealand is surely a rare case.

Speaking to the media during the post-match press conference after the third ODI at Mount Maunganui, India captain Virat Kohli admitted that the team had thought of winning at least two out of the first three matches and that winning each one of them speaks highly about the quality of cricket his team has played.

With Kohli rested for the rest of the tour and the series in the bag, India are highly likely to give their reserves a chance in the upcoming matches. With only seven ODIs remaining before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, the current situation will also present India with a confusion of persisting with the players who are likely to board the plane to England later this year.

India’s Predicted Playing XI for 4th ODI against New Zealand

1) Top-order – Arguably the most consistent ODI opening pair across the globe in the last few years, stand-in captain Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan should continue to open the innings for India. Given their record at the top of the order, there is absolutely no reason for the team management to consider tinkering with the opening combination, at least in the fourth ODI.

Ambati Rayudu, who has scored 100 runs in three matches at an average of 100 and a strike rate of 87.71, is likely to be moved up the order from No. 4 to No. 3.

2) Middle-order – In the absence of Kohli and with Rayudu at No. 3, former India captain and current wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni is likely to be back at No. 4. It is worth mentioning that the last time the 37-year old cricketer batted at No. 4 was during the third ODI against Australia when he stitched an unbeaten match-winning 121-run partnership with all-rounder Kedar Jadhav at Melbourne.

The hard-hitting trio of Jadhav, wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik and all-rounder Hardik Pandya will complete a batting unit which comprises of enough firepower down the order.

While both Jadhav and Karthik have played game-changing innings this year, Pandya didn’t get the opportunity to bat in the only ODI that he has played. Depending on the match situation, it might just prove to be a wise decision to promote Pandya ahead of the other two for the last time he batted in this format was during the tour of England way back in July.

3) Bowlers – Going by the murmurs doing the rounds currently, there are chances of pacer Khaleel Ahmed being included in the side in place of Mohammad Shami, who has been on the road since the Test series in Australia.

Apart from this sole change in the bowling division, one expects the trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav to continue doing the good work.

India’s Predicted Playing XI for 4th ODI against New Zealand – 1) Rohit Sharma (c) 2) Shikhar Dhawan 3) Ambati Rayudu 4) MS Dhoni (wk) 5) Kedar Jadhav 6) Dinesh Karthik 7) Hardik Pandya 8) Bhuvneshwar Kumar 9) Kuldeep Yadav 10) Khaleel Ahmed 11) Yuzvendra Chahal