Gill takes the reins for the first three ODIs, while Iyer steps up for the closing pair— a decision that comes after a brief lull between the Test and ODI legs of the tour—
The first tranche of the squad keeps the core intact: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer as vice‑captain, and all‑rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir. Wicketkeeper‑batter KL Rahul and pacers Anshul Kamboj, Prasidh Krishna feature only in the opener trio, with the latter’s fitness still under review—
For the last two games, fresh faces break into the lineup. Tilak Varma, a left‑handed bat, and pacer Auqib Nabi are added. Jharkhand’s Kumar Kushagra makes his maiden ODI appearance behind the stumps, while Yash Thakur—tall and fast, a T20I regular—gets his first ODI call‑up. The side also retains the experienced pair of Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav, giving the bowlers a hybrid attack—
The five‑match saga kicks off on November 4 at Eden Park, with the second game in Wellington on the 7th and the third in Hamilton on the 10th. The final two ODIs, pencilled for the 13th and 15th, will be played in Mount Maunganui, all starting at 7:30 AM IST. This tight schedule gives India a chance to test depth before the Test series kicks off—
Rumours of a recall for Shami or Bhuvneshwar have fizzled; both remain absent from the ODI line‑up, though Bhuvneshwar will feature in the T20I series against New Zealand starting October 22. Meanwhile, the squads for the upcoming Test series are still being fine‑tuned—
India now gears up for the final two ODIs, with a fresh leadership dynamic and a squad that blends experience with new talent. The focus is on staying sharp for the Test series that follows, and on making a statement in New Zealand’s home conditions—