Shreyas Iyer is racing against time to prove his fitness for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand. The batter, sidelined since October with a spleen injury, has begun batting practice and may play a domestic match. His availability for the ODI squad, expected to be selected around January 4-5, hinges on clearance from the Centre of Excellence. Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are likely to be rested for the ODIs to manage their workload for the T20 World Cup.