Kumar Kushagra earns maiden India ODI call-up for New Zealand series
The 21-year-old Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter will back up Ishan Kishan in the final two ODIs.
Kumar Kushagra has been named in India's ODI squad for the final two matches of the five-match series against New Zealand. The 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batter will serve as backup to Ishan Kishan.
Kushagra replaced Rishabh Pant in the India A squad for the unofficial Test series against New Zealand A after Pant sustained a left-side strain. He scored centuries in the Duleep Trophy final and in an unofficial Test against Australia A earlier this month.
The Jharkhand batter has played 40 List A matches and scored 1,387 runs with two centuries. He made his IPL debut for Gujarat Titans in April 2026 after being signed for Rs 65 lakh. His selection came ahead of Sanju Samson and Prabhsimran Singh for the ODI format.
CricHubb Take
Kushagra's selection shows India is willing to fast-track young wicketkeeper-batters who perform in red-ball cricket, even when their white-ball numbers are modest compared to established T20 specialists.