BCCI announces ODI team for New Zealand series

New Delhi: As the Indian cricket team prepares to host New Zealand in a three-match ODI series starting on January 11, 2026, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named a 15-member squad that blends experience with strategic rotation ahead of the busy international calendar.

Leadership & Key Returns

Shubman Gill is set to lead the side as captain, returning from a recent injury layoff and reclaiming the ODI leadership role.

Shreyas Iyer has been named vice-captain and is included in the squad, although his participation is subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence following his recovery from a spleen injury.

Here’s the full Indian ODI squad selected for the series:

Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma (opening batsman), Virat Kohli (middle-order batsman), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper-batsman), Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain -- fitness pending), Washington Sundar (all-rounder), Ravindra Jadeja (all-rounder), Mohammed Siraj (fast bowler), Harshit Rana (fast bowler), Prasidh Krishna (fast bowler), Kuldeep Yadav (spinner), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper-batter), Nitish Kumar Reddy (all-rounder), Arshdeep Singh (fast bowler), Yashasvi Jaiswal (opening batsman)

Notable Omissions & Workload Management

With an eye on player workload and the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, a few big names are resting or missing out:

Hardik Pandya has not been cleared to bowl a full 10 overs and is rested to manage his workload.

Jasprit Bumrah is also absent from the ODI squad as part of rotation ahead of T20s and the World Cup.

Mohammed Shami has been overlooked despite good domestic form.

Strategy & Balance

The squad shows India’s intent to balance batting firepower with bowling variety:

Batting Core: Gill, Rohit, Kohli and Rahul offer stability at the top and middle order.

All-Round Options: Jadeja and Sundar provide balance with spin and batting depth.

Pace Attack: Siraj, Arshdeep and Prasidh Krishna lead the fast bowling group.

Spin Support: Kuldeep’s left-arm spin adds variety to the attack.

What lies ahead

The series will feature three ODIs on January 11 (Vadodara), January 14 (Rajkot) and January 18 (Indore) — offering a crucial test before India’s focus shifts to the T20 leg of the tour and the global T20 event.

Tags : Shubman Gill, Cricket, BCCI, Indian cricket team, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya