Shreyas Iyer is leading India in an ODI for the first time during the fourth match against New Zealand at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Friday. With this, Iyer has become the 29th player to captain India in men’s ODI cricket.

The Indian batter has also achieved a notable milestone. He is the 14th player to have played the most ODIs for India before getting the opportunity to lead the team. Iyer had featured in 85 ODIs before taking over the captaincy for the first time.

Most ODIs Played for India Before Captaining the Side

Anil Kumble holds the record for playing the most ODIs for India before becoming captain. The former spinner had appeared in 217 matches before leading the team.

Rohit Sharma is second on the list with 171 ODIs, followed by Shikhar Dhawan (142) and Rahul Dravid (138). Shreyas Iyer is placed 14th with 85 appearances, just ahead of former India captain MS Dhoni, who had played 81 ODIs before his captaincy debut.

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Players with the Most ODIs Before Leading India:

217 - Anil Kumble
171 - Rohit Sharma
142 - Shikhar Dhawan
138 - Rahul Dravid
129 - Ajay Jadeja
119 - Sachin Tendulkar
111 - Sourav Ganguly
111 - K Srikkanth
104 - Virat Kohli
100 - Gautam Gambhir
98 - D Vengsarkar
98 - M Azharuddin
90 - Suresh Raina
85 - Shreyas Iyer*
81 - MS Dhoni
75 - Ravi Shatri
71 - Hardik Pandya
70 - Virender Sehwag

Why Is Shreyas Iyer Leading India in the 4th ODI Against New Zealand?

Regular ODI captain Shubman Gill is unavailable for the fourth and fifth matches of the series as he prepares for the upcoming two-Test series against New Zealand. His absence has given Iyer the opportunity to lead India in the 50-over format for the first time.

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KL Rahul and Anshul Kamboj are also missing from India’s squad for the fourth ODI. In their absence, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan and Kuldeep Yadav have been included in India’s playing XI.

India Make Three Changes, New Zealand Opt for Six

Meanwhile, Iyer won the toss in the fourth ODI and decided to bowl first at Bay Oval.

India have made three changes to their playing XI for the contest, while New Zealand have made six changes as both teams look to make the most of the match.

India vs New Zealand playing XIs

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert(w), Will Young, Nick Kelly, Dean Foxcroft, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Matthew Fisher

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh


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