Devon Conway ruled out of ODI series due to concussion; Nick Kelly to join squad

New Zealand has suffered a significant blow ahead of the ODI series against India. Wicketkeeper-batsman Devon Conway will be unable to participate in the first match due to an injury. Tim Seifert will replace him.

Devon Conway was excluded from the first ODI, scheduled for November 4th in Auckland, after colliding with teammate Matt Henry during a training session on Tuesday at Edgbaston. Following the collision, Conway was taken to the hospital where a concussion was confirmed.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) issued an official statement confirming Conway's absence from the first ODI. Team captain Michelle Santner stated that Henry was also involved in the incident but is fine.

The accident occurred while Conway and Matt Henry were attempting to catch a ball in the air during practice. As a result of the catching attempt, both players collided with each other. Medical staff on the field immediately checked both athletes, after which head examinations were conducted.

At a press conference, Santner stated that Matt Henry passed the concussion test and appears normal, while Devon was taken to the hospital for further examination. He noted that the collision looked unfavorable.

Following Conway's exclusion, Tim Seifert will take his place in the New Zealand team. Santner hinted that Seifert might be included in the starting lineup directly. He explained that Seifert is the team's reserve batsman, so a direct replacement will occur if Devon is unavailable. Santner added that this is an unfortunate situation, emphasizing that Seifert is a good ODI player and had previously been waiting for his chance in the T20 series.

NZC reported that the medical team will closely monitor both players, and information regarding their availability in the remaining matches of the series will be provided later. It should be noted that India previously won the five-match T20 series against New Zealand by a score of 3-2, although New Zealand managed to bounce back by winning the last two matches. Now both teams will meet in the ODI series, the first match of which is scheduled for November 4th in Auckland.

The New Zealand team has faced an additional setback before the start of the five-match One Day International series against India, which begins on November 4th. The first match is scheduled to be played at Eden Park in Auckland.

Two key players, Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra, have been unable to fully recover from their injuries and will consequently not participate in the upcoming series. Mark Chapman sustained a left hamstring injury while playing in the European T20 Premier League. Recent MRI results indicate that he requires approximately two more weeks of rehabilitation to regain full physical fitness.

Rachin Ravindra injured his right shoulder during promotional filming. According to information from New Zealand Cricket (NZC), Ravindra is not yet ready for full action on the field in white-ball formats.

Head coach Rob Walters expressed disappointment over the absence of these players. He noted that the team management does not wish to take any risks given the upcoming test series.

Experienced batter-wicketkeeper Tim Seifert was included in the New Zealand squad for the first three ODIs. Seifert had previously been selected for the last two matches of the series. Additionally, left-handed batter Henry Nicholls was included in the starting lineup for the first three games.

All-rounder Dean Foxcroft will join the team for the final two ODIs. Former fast bowler Matthew Fisher was also named in the squad for the first three games, although he had previously only been selected for the concluding two matches. Furthermore, Matt Henry, who is recovering from a quadriceps injury, will join the team after an assessment of his physical condition, at which point a decision regarding his participation will be made.

The New Zealand squad for the first three ODIs against India includes Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Jacob Davies, Matthew Fisher, Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham (wicketkeeper), Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Nathan Smith, Will Young, and Blair Tickner.

The squad for the final two ODIs against India includes Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Christian Clark, Jacob Davies, Matthew Fisher, Dean Foxcroft, Loki Ferguson, Mitchell Hayes (wicketkeeper), Nick Kelly, Tim Seifert (wicketkeeper), Blair Tickner, and Will Young.

In the fourth match of the T20 series, New Zealand defeated India by 87 runs. This victory marked the first for the New Zealand team in the five-match T20 tournament. The loss in Auckland on Friday (October 30) ended India's unbeaten streak of 10 T20 matches against New Zealand in the country.

The Indian team had not lost in 10 international T20 matches in New Zealand between 2020 and 2026. However, this streak was broken on Friday. In terms of run differential, this was India's second largest defeat in international T20. Nevertheless, India had already secured the T20 series by winning the first three matches.

Statistics on continuous victories of one team over an opponent in one country show: 11 wins for India over Sri Lanka (in India, 2016-23), 10 wins for India over New Zealand (in New Zealand, 2020-26), 9 wins for New Zealand over Bangladesh (in New Zealand, 2010-22), and 9 wins for Pakistan over Zimbabwe (in Zimbabwe, 2011-21).

According to statistics, India's largest defeats in T20 by run margin include: 125 runs against England in Nottingham (2026), 87 runs against New Zealand in Auckland (2026), 80 runs against New Zealand in Wellington (2019), and 76 runs against South Africa in Ahmedabad (2026).

After India won the toss and opted to bat first, New Zealand batsmen scored 259 runs in 20 overs, which is the highest score for New Zealand in international T20 history. Glenn Phillips attacked the Indian bowlers, scoring 107 runs off 49 balls. His innings included six fours and 10 sixes, making it his third century in his international T20 career. Michael Bresler also played aggressively, scoring 65 runs off just 25 balls.

Both teams managed to change the momentum of the match, adding 115 runs off 41 balls for the fifth wicket. Glenn Phillips hit four consecutive sixes off Nitish Kumar Reddy's 16th over, resulting in 32 runs being scored in that over. Michael Bresler continued his aggressive play. In the last five overs, New Zealand earned 85 runs, bringing the total score to 259.

Finn Allen added 31 runs off 17 balls, and Daryl Mitchell scored 24 runs off nine balls. For India, Mankad Yadav took three wickets. Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, and Nitish Kumar Reddy each took one wicket.

When the Indian team came out to chase the target of 260 runs, Jacob Duffy struck two big blows in the first over. He dismissed Sanju Samson for four runs and Ishan Kishan without a ball. Following this, Abhishek Sharma and Shreyas Iyer tried to score quickly. Abhishek scored 27 runs off 15 balls, and Shreyas scored 22 runs off 11 balls. They added 46 runs for the third wicket, but Matthew Fisher dismissed Abhishek, breaking the partnership. Then Edam Milne bowled at a speed of 143 kilometers per hour and dismissed India's captain Shreyas.

Due to constant player losses, the Indian team could not handle the pressure of the large score and lost the match by a margin of 87 runs. Despite the defeat, the match was special for Arshdeep Singh, who dismissed Mitchell Stainer and reached 150 wickets in international T20, becoming the first Indian bowler to achieve this milestone.