Dhoni recalled for T20Is vs New Zealand

Former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was on Monday recalled to India's T20I squad that will play a three-match rubber in New Zealand.

The selectors also announced the One-day International (ODI) squads for the three and five-match rubber against Australia and the Kiwis respectively.

Dhoni was rested from both the T20I squads that took on the West Indies at home and then against Australia last month, raising speculation about his future in the shortest format.

However, the former double World Cup-winning captain found his place back in the T20I squad that will play the Blackcaps in three T20Is, starting February 6 in Wellington.

With hardly 13 matches to be played till the 2019 ICC 50-over World Cup in England and Wales next year, the Indian selectors went with the tried and tested combinations for the ODIs even as Virat Kohli and the team management will aim to fix a few holes.

Meanwhile, India's new Test stumper Rishabh Pant will return home after the completion of the four-Test series against Australia, as the Delhi southpaw was named in the India A squad for the five-match one-day series at home against the England Lions.

Also, all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who was stretchered off the field following a lower back injury during the match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup in September, was included in the ODI and T20I squad.

India will play three ODIs against Australia - January 12 (Sydney), 15 (Adelaide) and 18 (Melbourne). It will be followed by a five-match ODI contest against New Zealand - January 23, 26, 28, 31 and February 3 before the T20I series against the Blackcaps - on February 6, 8 and 10.

Squads:

For ODIs against Australia and New Zealand: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Shami.

For T20I series against New Zealand: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Khaleel Ahmed.

--IANS

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