New Delhi, Oct. 31 -- Auqib Nabi will join India's squad from the very first match of the five-ODI series in New Zealand. The BCCI confirmed that the men's selection committee had brought the right-arm medium pacer into the group for the opening three games. He had earlier been named only for the fourth and fifth ODIs. The series begins on November 4.

The board's media advisory did not spell out why the change was made. Report from PTI tied it to a hamstring injury suffered by Prasidh Krishna during the second ODI against West Indies in Guwahati. With Krishna unavailable for the early part of the tour, Nabi's inclusion gives India an extra seam option right from the start.

"The Men's Selection Committee has added Auqib Nabi to the squad...