The three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand is set to commence on January 11. India’s ODI squad was announced last week, as Ruturaj Gaikwad was surprisingly dropped from the team. Here’s the complete list of changes in the squad for the New Zealand series.
Team India is set to take the field for the first time in 2026 on Sunday (January 11) as their ODI series against New Zealand will get underway. The BCCI selectors convened a meeting last week and announced the 15-member squad for the contest as skipper Shubman Gill returned to lead the Indian team after missing the series against South Africa due to a neck injury.
As many as 12 players have been retained from the series against South Africa, which India won 2-1, even as some of the players have been surprisingly left out despite performing well. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah continue to miss out as the BCCI is preserving them for the T20 World Cup.
India’s ODI squad for New Zealand series:ย Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC)*, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal
Here’s a look at all the changes in India’s ODI squad for the New Zealand series
IN:
One of the major changes in the squad is captain Shubman Gill’s return after recovering from neck injury. Understandably, he takes over the reins from stand-in skipper KL Rahul. Shreyas Iyer, the vice-captain, also returns for the first time since Australia tour in October. He was picked subject to fitness, but has been cleared to feature in the series since then after playing two matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai. Another major change in the squad is the return of Mohammed Siraj, who was left out of the team for the South Africa series.
OUT:
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s exclusion was the most baffling decision but even if picked, he wouldn’t have got a chance to play with Iyer returning to bat at number four. Nevertheless, Gaikwadย smashed a century, batting out of position, and deserved to be at least retained in the squad. Dhruv Jurel has been left out without getting a chance in the previous series and he has been scoring runs for fun in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, while Tilak Varma is also not a part of the squad after replacing Iyer in the previous series.
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