"He will bat at..."- Rohit Sharma confirms Ishan Kishan's batting position ahead of 1st ODI vs NZ

The first ODI match between India and New Zealand will take place on Wednesday, January 18 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. After winning the ODI series against Sri Lanka 3-0, India will be high on confidence.

However, India will have to make some forced changes ahead of the ODI series. KL Rahul and Axar Patel have taken a break, while Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the series due to a back injury. However, it will be interesting to see who will play in the middle order for the hosts.

Meanwhile, the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, along with Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, looked good at the top for India in the ODI series. On the other hand, Ishan Kishan warmed the bench despite scoring the fastest ODI double century last month against Bangladesh.

However, with Rahul and Iyer not in the team, Ishan might get a go because India also needs a wicketkeeper. That's what the Indian skipper confirmed ahead of the first ODI on Tuesday. In the post-match press conference, Rohit confirmed that Ishan will play against New Zealand after missing the ODI series against Sri Lanka.

Rohit said, "Ishan will be batting middle-order, I'm glad that he can get a run here after a fine knock against Bangladesh."

The left-hander has played as an opener throughout his career, and it will be interesting to see how he will adjust in the middle order. In the middle order, he could bat at the same position as Shreyas Iyer. Furthermore, Rohit stated that they are looking to improve as a team.

He added that New Zealand will present a different challenge for India after their series win against Pakistan, and it will be a good series for everyone. The ODI series will end on January 24 in Indore. After that, both teams will lock horns in a three-match T20I series, starting on January 27 in Ranchi.