It’s almost time for the first international series for Team India in 2026, and what could be better than a series between India and New Zealand with 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is in a row. The RoKO-dominant Indian team will take on New Zealand for a three-match ODI series from January 11, with the second and third ODIs to be played on January 14 and January 18 respectively. It will be a good practice series for India, who only recently played against South Africa and Australia.
The last two ODI series for Team India have been a mixed affair. While India lost 1-2 away to Australia, they won 2-1 at home against South Africa. After playing two strong teams, Team India will once again play a strong team – New Zealand. Historically, India has had the upper hand over New Zealand in ODIs, winning 62 ODIs and losing 50 of them. Team India last played against New Zealand in the final of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which they won by 4 wickets.
While the series will at some point feature Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, given their sole format, it will also see the return of a few key players like Hardik Pandya. Since there are a few players in the team, we could also miss a few backup players. So, what is the likely squad and player list for Team India for the 2026 ODI series vs New Zealand? Let’s find out in this article. This will be the last series before Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli feature in the Indian Premier League.
India vs New Zealand 2026 ODI Squad Decoded
Let’s start with the players who are likely to make a comeback for this ODI series. There are four names who should play this ODI series and make a comeback and they are Captain Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Mohammed Siraj. While Gill and Hardik missed the previous series due to injury, Axar and Siraj were rested as per the selectors’ notification.
But now that these four are making a comeback, four names will unfortunately be missing from the selection. Among those likely to be left out are Dhruv Jurel in the batting department for Shubman Gill, Nitish Reddy in the All-rounder department for Hardik Pandya. Ravindra Jadeja in the AR department for Axar Patel, and Prasidh Krishna in the bowling department for Mohammed Siraj, who was poor in the ODI series.
There is also a good possibility of Jasprit Bumrah playing this ODI series. But with five T20Is lined up just after this series, India may refrain from adding him to the ODI side. Similarly, India is also not risking adding Hardik Pandya to the ODI series. Instead, we might see Nitish Reddy or Ravindra Jadeja continue together for the ODI series in New Zealand. This is a very good opportunity if not for Hardik Pandya.
India vs New Zealand 2026 Best Predicted ODI Squad and Player List
Batters
- Rohit Sharma
- Travel Giikwad
- Shubman Gill (c)
- Tilak Varma
- Virat Kohli
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
World Cups
All-rounders
- Axar Patel
- Hardik Pandya
- Washington Sundar
Bowlers
- Arshdeep Singh
- Harshit Rana
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohammed Siraj
The team will also miss the services of Shreyas Iyer, who may need some more time to recover. So in his place, Ruturaj Gaikwad will once again be the preferred mid-range player for the team. It will also be interesting to see if Yashasvi Jaiswal’s spot is in jeopardy. India technically only has four bowlers in the team, so one of Tilak Varma or Yashasvi Jaiswal would have to make way for an extra bowler. But since this is just an ODI series, we should see the same lineup as above.
In terms of performance, India will be looking for nothing less than a 3-0 win. Against a full-fledged South African team, India won 2-1 with almost a B side. But with four key players missing, Team India looks much stronger now. So a 3-0 win should be ideal. India will be hoping for a good performance from their star players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, as well as the returning Hardik Pandya, who will keep the team perfectly balanced.
India vs New Zealand 2026 ODI Series Fixtures
| Agreement | Date | City | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st ODI | January 11, 2026 | They’re gone | 1:30 PM IST |
| 2nd ODI | January 14, 2026 | Rajkot | 1:30 PM IST |
| 3rd ODI | January 18, 2026 | Indore | 1:30 PM IST |
So that’s about the best roster and player list for the Indian cricket team vs New Zealand ODI series. Thanks for reading. What is your ideal squad for the India vs New Zealand 2026 ODI series? Share your thoughts at business@cricalytics.com or in the comment section below.
© AK4Tsay1 Criticism
#India #Zealand #selection #list #ODI #series