Former skipper MS Dhoni sat out of the third ODI against New Zealand due to a hamstring injury, making it only the third occasion when the veteran stumper was ruled out of the playing XI.
At 37, Dhoni has been one of the fittest cricketers of the current generation and it’s a rare occasion when fans witness an Indian line-up sans his name in white-ball cricket.
The last time he was out of the playing XI was way back in 2013 when he missed three ODIs due to a hamstring injury in a tri-series in the West Indies.
After missing the previous ODI against the Blackcaps, Dhoni now looks set to return for the dead rubber. He was seen sweating it out in the nets ahead of the fourth ODI in Hamilton.
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The BCCI’s Twitter handle posted the pictures of Team India’s practice sessions on Wednesday. It will be interesting to see who will make way for Dhoni though as Karthik deserves another go after playing impressive knock in the third ODI.
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Snapshots from #TeamIndia's training session ahead of the 4th ODI against New Zealand #NZvIND pic.twitter.com/KTmYgLwK5n
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 30, 2019
It is quite possible that the reserve players might also get a chance as Khaleel or Siraj can come in for Mohammed Shami, who has had a hectic schedule so far. Youngster Shubman Gill may get to make his India debut as he can come in place of rested skipper Virat Kohli for the last two ODIs against New Zealand.
With an unassailable lead 3-0 in the five-match series, captain Kohli signed off his tour Down Under on a high with a first ODI series win in New Zealand in 10 years.
