The Indian cricket team's first challenge of the new year will be against New Zealand. Team India is set to face the Kiwis in three ODIs and five T20 matches starting from January 11. The lineup for the T20 series has already been announced, while the squad for the ODIs was declared on January 3 (Saturday).
Shubman Gill will lead the team in the ODI series. Shubman missed the ODI series against South Africa due to an injury, during which KL Rahul took on the captaincy role. India clinched that series 2-1. Alongside Shubman, fast bowler Mohammed Siraj and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer are making their way back into the team. However, Shreyas will only participate if declared fit, as he sustained an injury during the Australia tour, which has kept him away from action.
While Mohammed Siraj and Shreyas Iyer have made their comebacks, experienced fast bowler Mohammed Shami faces disappointment again. Shami last played for India during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where India triumphed over New Zealand in the final. Devdutt Padikkal and Ishan Kishan, who have been showcasing impressive performances in domestic cricket, have not been included in the team. Rishabh Pant has retained his place in the squad.
On the other hand, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dhruv Jurel, and Tilak Varma have been excluded. These players were part of the Indian team against South Africa in the ODI series, with Ruturaj having scored a century in that series, making his exclusion surprising.
India's Team against New Zealand for the ODI series:
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain*), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
India vs New Zealand Schedule
January 11 - First ODI, Vadodara January 14 - Second ODI, Rajkot January 18 - Third ODI, Indore January 21 - First T20, Nagpur January 23 - Second T20, Raipur January 25 - Third T20, Guwahati January 28 - Fourth T20, Visakhapatnam January 31 - Fifth T20, Thiruvananthapuram
