The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will make the official ODI squad announcement on or before January 4. The Men in Blue are expected to be led by opening batsman Shubman Gill but his Test deputy will not be present despite scoring an impactful 70-run knock in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy match for Delhi, where Virat Kohli also made 77 against Gujarat in Bengaluru.
But who will replace Rishabh Pant?
According to India Today, the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, wants to give Jharkhand’s another chance Ishan Kishanwho has the ability to bat at multiple positions in the order. Batting at number 6 in Vijay Hazare’s opening over, he hit a mind-boggling 125 off just 39 balls to guide his side to an emphatic victory.
Kishan recently made headlines with his comeback into the T20I team thanks to his consistency in the domestic Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy competition. With strong continued form in 50-over cricket, the stump batsman is set to return to the side after playing last in the 2023 ODI World Cup. As a new year beckons, 2026 could be Kishan’s year, starting with the New Zealand series.
IND vs NZ 2026 ODI Series – Schedule, Dates, Venues and Timings
| Date | Agreement | Location | Time (IST) |
| January 11 | 1st ODI | BCA Stadium, Vadodara | 1:30 p.m |
| January 14 | 2nd ODI | Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot | 1:30 p.m |
| January 18 | 3rd ODI | Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore | 1:30 p.m |
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