Auqib Nabi, the Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler, has been added to India's squad for the first three ODIs of the five-match series against New Zealand, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Saturday, 31 October. Nabi, originally selected only for the final two games, will now be available for the entire series, which gets underway on 4 November.

Why Nabi Was Called Up Early

The expanded availability follows the injury-forced withdrawal of Prasidh Krishna, who has been ruled out of the tour after picking up a hamstring injury and needing additional time to rebuild competitive workload. With a bowling slot opening up, the selection committee moved Nabi into the first-three-ODI squad a day after Krishna's exit was confirmed.

Nabi's form during India's lead-up fixtures in New Zealand appears to have bolstered the selectors' confidence. The 29-year-old right-arm seamer was among India A's most effective performers in the opening unofficial Test against New Zealand A at Lincoln last week, claiming six wickets and putting the surface conditions to good use. He had been named in the India A group for all three unofficial Tests but was subsequently withdrawn from the second and third match squads.

A Second Chance After a Tough Debut

The call-up gives Nabi a chance to rehabilitate an ODI career that started on difficult terms. He made his international debut against the West Indies in Guwahati on 30 September, but conceded 84 runs in 8.5 overs — an outing that cost him his spot. He was dropped for the third and final ODI of that series in Mullanpur, replaced by Mohammed Siraj.

Before departing for New Zealand, Nabi also represented Jammu and Kashmir in the Irani Cup against Rest of India, picking up four wickets to sharpen his preparation.

The Domestic Case That Kept Him in the Frame

Despite the rough international debut, Nabi's domestic record has kept him firmly in selectors' thinking. He was the linchpin of Jammu and Kashmir's historic maiden Ranji Trophy title in the 2025-26 season, finishing with 60 wickets — one of the highest tallies of the campaign — and emerging as one of the most penetrative fast bowlers in the competition.

Notably, Jammu and Kashmir's Ranji triumph was considered one of Indian domestic cricket's most significant upsets in recent memory, and Nabi's contribution was central to it. This backstory makes the selectors' persistence with him understandable despite the early ODI setback.

Leadership and Squad Structure for the Series

Shubman Gill will captain India in the first three ODIs, with Shreyas Iyer serving as vice-captain and assuming full captaincy duties for the fourth and fifth matches. Both Gill and wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul are set to depart the ODI squad after the third match to focus on preparation for the subsequent two-match Test series.

India's updated ODI squad for the first three ODIs: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan (wk), Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy (first ODI only), Auqib Nabi.

India's ODI squad for the fourth and fifth ODIs: Shreyas Iyer (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wk, vc), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav.

With the series beginning on 4 November, Nabi will be looking to leverage New Zealand's pace-friendly conditions — conditions that already yielded him six wickets at the first-class level — to make a convincing case for a permanent berth in India's white-ball setup.