IND vs NZ 2026: Why Didn’t Prasidh Krishna Play Today’s Indore Match?

On Sunday, January 18, 2026, India and New Zealand played against each other in the third and final ODI of the three-match series at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. The host team defeated the visitors by four wickets to win the inaugural ODI. But courtesy to Daryl Mitchell's undefeated century and a great performance by Will Young, the BlackCaps recovered well in the second ODI at Rajkot, winning by seven wickets. India replaced Prasidh Krishna with left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh for the pivotal One-Day International.

Gill, the captain of India, won the toss and decided to field because of the surface's characteristics and the difficulty of chasing on a high-scoring track like Indore. Gill emphasised that even though dew was not anticipated to be a significant factor, the pitch was suitable for batting, so it's critical to evaluate circumstances early and then pursue with precision. Gill also pointed out that India needs to do better, especially in the middle overs. The captain claims that if partnerships are allowed to thrive, it becomes difficult to control runs, so the bowling unit needs to seek wickets in the middle phase and alter lengths more effectively.

IND vs NZ 2026 Updates:

As part of a standard rotation, India bowler Prasidh Krishna was left out of the third ODI against New Zealand. To get playing experience before the forthcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup next month, Arshdeep Singh, who had missed the first two games, was recruited into the starting lineup.

Shubman Gill stated, "We will bowl first. That's what we spoke about (on the decision to bowl), batting first, New Zealand put us under pressure. One of the decisions we're bowling first is that the surface looks good, don't expect a lot of dew, runs on the board would let us chase better. Need to vary our lengths in the middle-overs, that's what we want to do. One change, Arshdeep comes in place of Prasidh."

NZ captain said, "We would have bowled first, but looks like a good batting pitch. It's a decider and an exciting opportunity for us to win our 1st ODI series here in India. They're getting used to international cricket and have made a good fist of it so far (on the new faces), but the pressure is on now and it's a good chance for them to play their best game. No changes from the last match."

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