The opening ODI between India and New Zealand in Vadodara has not only produced high-quality cricket but also a fair share of selection drama.

While the focus remains on the action at the Kotambi Stadium, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has voiced a strong "rant" regarding the team’s tactical choices, specifically the decision to bench left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and star all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.

The Controversy: Snubbing the Stars

Upon winning the toss and electing to bowl first, Indian captain Shubman Gill revealed a playing XI that raised several eyebrows.

Despite being a consistent performer in white-ball cricket, Arshdeep Singh was left out in favor of a pace attack consisting of Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, and Prasidh Krishna.

Also, the dynamic Nitish Kumar Reddy, who many expected to provide balance as a seam-bowling all-rounder, also failed to find a spot.

Irfan Pathan, speaking during the post-toss show for the broadcaster JioStar, expressed his bewilderment at the "illogical" exclusion of Nitish Kumar Reddy.

"If you don't play him, you can't groom him as an all-rounder. He gets picked, travels with the team, but doesn't feature in the XI. There must be some reason why he isn't getting picked," Irfan said on JioHotstar Gill named India playing XI for 1st ODI vs NZ.

Pathan also questioned the long-term vision of the management, noting that if players like Nitish Kumar Reddy aren't given game time in home series, it hinders their development for major global tournaments.

Gill’s Justification

Shubman Gill defended the selection, stating that the team management wanted to experiment with specific bowling combinations to see what suits Indian conditions best when chasing. He emphasized that the decision was purely "tactical" and based on the desire to test Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna's rhythm following their recent domestic performances.

Milestone Alert: By taking the field, Virat Kohli (309 ODIs) has officially surpassed Sourav Ganguly (308) to become India's 5th most-capped ODI player.

India's Playing XI vs New Zealand (1st ODI): Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj.