India vs New Zealand ODI: India will begin their 2026 season with the first India vs New Zealand ODI in Vadodara on Sunday, and senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are set to return to the playing XI. This match will also mark Shubman Gill’s first ODI as captain in the new year, and he will be keen to start with a win at home. Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer are both making comebacks after recovering from injuries.
Just before the match, India suffered a setback when wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant felt discomfort after being hit above the waist during practice by a throwdown specialist. According to sources, he picked up a ribcage injury and has been ruled out of the series, although the BCCI has not made an official announcement yet.
Gill and Rohit Sharma are expected to open the innings, with Virat Kohli coming in at number three. The top three will carry major responsibility, especially since Rohit and Kohli were in good form against South Africa, and Kohli also impressed in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. This series is also important for Gill, who will be looking to find consistency after a few below-par outings.
With Pant unavailable, KL Rahul is expected to take up wicketkeeping duties. Along with Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, India are likely to have a strong top five in the batting order. In the middle order, Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy are expected to play as the all-rounders. Washington Sundar is set to miss out, while Hardik Pandya is not part of the squad, which means Reddy will also support the pace attack.
In the bowling department, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh are likely to be the three fast bowlers. Kuldeep Yadav is expected to play as the lone specialist spinner.
India Predicted XI for 1st India vs New Zealand ODI 2026
India’s predicted XI for the first India vs New Zealand ODI is Shubman Gill as captain, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul as wicketkeeper, Shreyas Iyer as vice-captain, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh.
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