India seeks 2-0 advantage in New Zealand ODI series as rain looms

India will try to extend its series lead to 2-0 when it faces New Zealand in the second ODI at Wellington's Henry Stadium on Saturday, a match that coincides with Diwali celebrations. In the rain‑shortened opener, India chased down the target with five wickets in hand, thanks to Virat Kohli’s 74 runs. Rohit Sharma, who was dismissed without scoring in Auckland, will be under pressure to contribute as the team eyes the 2027 World Cup. Shubman Gill starts the second game but is slated to miss the final two ODIs to focus on the upcoming two‑match Test series later in the month; Shreyas Iyer will take over the captaincy for those last matches. New Zealand field a weakened side after opening‑batsman Devon Conway was ruled out with a concussion from a training collision, while Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman are also unavailable. The team list includes Tim Seifert, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, wicket‑keeper Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, captain Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy or Matt Henry, and Blair Tickner. Forecasts suggest another bout of rain could again shorten play, adding uncertainty to the contest. ## Context