The Indian cricket team is set to lock horns with New Zealand in the first One Day International of a three-match series at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara this Sunday. This series marks a significant moment as it is the team's final ODI assignment before the T20 World Cup and the Indian Premier League (IPL) later in the year.
Veterans Return for Final ODI Series Before World Cup
Veteran stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have returned to the squad and could be seen wearing the India blue for the last time until July. Their return adds immense experience to the side. Notably, this series also sees the return of Shubman Gill, who will be leading the ODI side after being dropped from the T20 World Cup squad. The 25-year-old will be eager to make a strong statement as captain.
In preparation for the clash, both Kohli and Rohit had an extensive net session on the eve of the match, batting for nearly ninety minutes against Indian pacers, spinners, and throw-down specialists. This came after both played two matches each in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with Kohli particularly in fine touch, scoring 77 and 131 in those games.
Team News and Predicted Playing XI
While Kohli and Rohit trained hard, some key players were absent from the three-hour session. Middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, and pacer Mohammed Siraj skipped the nets as they had played for their state teams in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Thursday.
Selecting the final XI presents a pleasant headache for the team management. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a maiden ODI century in his last innings, might be the unfortunate one to make way. The team is likely to opt for the experience of both KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant in the middle order for added solidity.
India's Predicted Playing XI:
- Rohit Sharma
- Shubman Gill (Captain)
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain)
- KL Rahul
- Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper)
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Washington Sundar
- Harshit Rana
- Mohammed Siraj
- Arshdeep Singh
Head-to-Head and Match Details
India and New Zealand have a long and competitive history in ODIs. Out of 120 matches played between the two sides, India has won 62, while New Zealand has emerged victorious on 50 occasions.
The first ODI will commence at 1:30 PM IST on Sunday, January 11, 2026. Fans in India can catch the live telecast on the Star Sports Network. The match will also be streamed live on the JioCinema app and website.
The full squads for the series are as follows:
India Squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Shreyas Iyer (vc), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
New Zealand Squad: Michael Bracewell (c), Adi Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway (wk), Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay (wk), Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae, Will Young.
