By: Drcricket7 Staff
Suresh Raina will not play the opening one-dayer against New Zealand owing to viral fever. However, the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) has not named any replacement for the southpaw. The 1st ODI between India and New Zealand will take place at the scenic HPCA Stadium on Sunday.
A BCCI statement stated, “The BCCI Medical team has confirmed that Suresh Raina, who is recovering from a bout of viral fever, is ruled out of the first ODI of the Paytm ODI Trophy against New Zealand.”
Read More: Indian Team For ODI Series Against New Zealand
The Indian team is already without Mohammed Shami, Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul, who are injured. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin are rested for the first three matches of the ODI series.
Read More: MS Dhoni Hits the Ground Running for New Zealand ODI Series
Meanwhile, Raina is making a comeback into the Indian team after a long lay-off. He was dropped from the Indian ODI team in January. Raina was overlooked for Zimbabwe and then the US tour.
Raina had an under-par Asia Cup, World T20 and his performance in the Indian Premier League wasn’t convincing at all. In his last 26 innings, the destructive batsman has managed just one triple figure score.