‘He will be upset’ – Ajinkya Rahane assesses India star’s outing in first New Zealand ODI

Former Indian captain Ajinkya Rahane opined that Shreyas Iyer would be kicking himself for throwing his wicket away, despite contributing in the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara on January 11. Making his return to international cricket after recovering from a spleen injury he sustained during India’s tour of Australia in October 2025, the right-hander appeared in fine touch and settled in effortlessly from the very first delivery.

Iyer played a composed knock of 49 off 47 balls before being dismissed at a stage when India required 59 runs from 53 balls while chasing a target of 301. The hosts eventually crossed the line after some tense moments, sealing a four-wicket victory with one over to spare.

“He’ll (Iyer) be upset with himself (timing of dismissal). But the way he batted today, especially rotating the strike and hitting big against spinners and pacers, was amazing. He’s the right guy to bat at No. 4. He can play any kind of role. If the team wants a different strike rate, he can do that,” Rahane told Cricbuzz.

And if the Indian team is down two to three wickets early, Shreyas can actually build the innings and take it really deep. His calculations are really good, especially during run-chases. But I am sure he’ll be really upset with the way he got out at a crucial juncture in the game,” he added.

Iyer was one of India’s key batters in the year gone by, scoring five half-centuries in 11 outings and scoring the most runs for India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Rahane’s take on India’s batting order

The Mumbai cricketer felt that India’s altered batting order in the series-opener against New Zealand was influenced by Washington Sundar’s injury earlier in the day. With Sundar unable to bat at his usual position, Ravindra Jadeja was promoted at No. 5, Harshit Rana came in at No. 7 and Sundar eventually walked out, only at No. 8 in the chase. Rana went on to play a vital hand of 29 off 23, while Sundar stayed not out on seven off seven.

“They were concerned about Washington’s injury. My guess is they sent Harshit Rana just to attack and try to finish the game as early as possible because of Washington Sundar’s situation,” said Rahane.

The former India cricketer further suggested that Sundar could be replaced by pace bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Ready in the second ODI. However, Rahane also advised the team management to consider bringing in the in-form Varun Chakravarthy, if available, as a replacement for the injured Sundar.

“I think Nitish Kumar Reddy comes in his place. India already has two quality spinners with Jadeja and Kuldeep anyway. But if he (Sundar) is injured, I would love to see Varun Chakravarthy in the next game,” he said.

With a lead of 1-0 India will look to seal the series in the second ODI, which scheduled to be played on January 14 in Rajkot.