He is playing his first ODI on Indian soil.
After a huge chunk of players forming the Injured XI for New Zealand, the team selection for the first IND vs NZ ODI was relatively easy. However, a unique name that caught the eyes of fans was Adithya Ashok.
Many players who would ideally make it to the New Zealand first XI have been sidelined due to injuries – a state that no cricket board would like to be in. Despite the headache, the Kiwis managed to field a competitive XI, showcasing the strength of their small but fierce domestic circuit.
Coming back to the elephant in the room, Adithya Ashok was born in Vellore, a town in Tamil Nadu, India. He was four years old when he moved to New Zealand with his family, and has been there ever since. After he started playing cricket, Ashok was quick to make it to the competitive circuit in New Zealand, where he began to thrive.
A prolific List A record helped Adithya Ashok make his debut for the national side in August 2023, three years after he had played for the New Zealand U19 side in the Men’s U19 World Cup in 2020.
In 38 List A matches, he bagged 52 wickets at an economy of 5.41 with best figures of 4/25. Adithya Ashok has continued to impress in First-class cricket as well, scalping a five-wicket haul on as many occasions. To add to that, he is no mug with the bat, and also has a List A fifty to his name.
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Well, the first and foremost thing to say about this would be that it would depend on his performances in this three-match ODI series. But beyond that, there would be some thinking to do for the Blackcaps. A few players who have been sidelined with an injury will make a return to the side.
With the likes of Mitchell Santner coming back into the scheme of things, it would be interesting to see whether the Kiwis stay with the 23-year-old in the long run, at least for the ODI World Cup in 2027. With Ish Sodhi having not played an ODI after November 2024, the leg-spinner would seem to be valuable for New Zealand.
However, the team would be welcoming Santner before the ODI World Cup, and that would place two bowlers who turn the ball away from the right-hander in the same squad. Though that is not a problem, it would be interesting to see how the Kiwis look at their combination for the mega-event.
Adithya Ashok can turn his stock delivery accurately from the lengths that he wishes to bowl, and also has superb control over his googly, making him a good package after considering his batting skills. Either way, the New Zealand management will have a decision to make ahead of the coveted tournament next year.
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