The BCCI has finalized India’s squad for the home ODI series against New Zealand, starting January 11. In a move that signals a shift toward established combinations, selectors have recalled Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Siraj, while rising stars Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tilak Varma have missed out despite strong recent outings.

The Return of Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer has been included and named Vice-Captain, marking his return after a two-month injury layoff following the Australia tour.

• The Fitness Clause: His inclusion is "subject to fitness clearance." To retain his spot, he must prove his match readiness in Mumbai's Vijay Hazare Trophy fixture on January 6.

• The Competition: His comeback has come at the expense of Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was notably dropped despite scoring a gritty century at number 4 during the previous series against South Africa.

Key Changes and Leadership

• The Captain: Shubman Gill returns to lead the side after missing the South Africa series.

• Workload Management: As expected, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested to manage their workloads ahead of the T20 World Cup in February.

• New Faces: High-performance youngster Nitish Kumar Reddy has been rewarded with a call-up, offering an additional seam-bowling all-rounder option in Pandya's absence.

• The Seniors: Veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been included to provide stability to the top order.

India’s 15-Man Squad for New Zealand ODIs¹

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 Si2ngh, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

(Subject to fitness clearance)

Series Schedule (January 2026)