IND vs NZ: 5 Key Expectations from India's Squad Announcement for ODI Series against New Zealand

India’s ODI squad for the New Zealand series is set for announcement, kickstarting 2027 World Cup prep. Shubman Gill returns as captain, Mohammed Shami may get a recall, with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Ishan Kishan likely included.

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India's Squad Announcement for the NZ ODI Series

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee is expected to announce India’s squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand on Saturday, January 3. The upcoming ODI series against New Zealand is India’s international assignment of 2026, starting on January 11.

Ahead of the squad selection, it was reported that Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are unlikely to be picked as the selectors wanted them to be rested and managed carefully ahead of the T20I series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup 2026. The Men in Blue will begin their preparations for the 2027 World Cup with the NZ ODI series.

On that note, let’s take a look at five things to be expected from India’s squad announcement for the ODI series against New Zealand.

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1. Shubman Gill Returns After T20 World Cup Snub

One of the things to be expected from India’s squad announcement for the New Zealand ODI series is the return of Shubman Gill as India's skipper. Gill was recently excluded from the Men in Blue’s 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup due to a lack of runs and combinations, as stated by the BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar. He was, in fact, not picked for the T20I series against New Zealand, which is the final preparation for India ahead of the marquee event.

Since Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are certain to be picked, given their impressive form in the recent ODI series against Australia and South Africa, and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Shubman Gill is expected to return to the ODI setup and continue leading the side in the ODI series against New Zealand. The 26-year-old is expected to feature in Punjab’s VHT fixtures against Sikkim and Goa on January 3 and 6, respectively.

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2. Yashasvi Jaiswal to be Backup Opener

When Shubman Gill was ruled out of the ODI series against South Africa due to a neck injury sustained during the Kolkata Test, Yashasvi Jaiswal was included as the opener and batted alongside Rohit Sharma at the top. Jaiswal scored a match-winning century in the third ODI in Visakhapatnam. It was his maiden ton in the format at the international level.

With Gill likely to return as India's captain and bat at the top of the order, the selectors are likely to include Yashasvi Jaiswal as the backup opener, given his impressive performance in the third ODI against South Africa and a decent outing in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai.

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3. Mohammed Shami to Get India Recall

Mohammed Shami’s last appearance in the Indian jersey was in the Champions Trophy final, and since then, he has been fighting for a place in the Indian team. Shami was not picked for the ODI series against Australia and South Africa, and the Test series against West Indies and South Africa. Moreover, the veteran Bengal pacer was involved in a public spat with Ajit Agarkar, criticizing the chief selector’s comments on his fitness and communication.

Despite the setback, Shami has continued to grind hard in domestic cricket, picking 44 wickets in 15 matches across the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and Vijay Hazare Trophy in the ongoing Indian domestic cricket season. It was reported that the veteran pacer is likely to be rewarded for his domestic performances by selecting him for the ODI series against New Zealand.

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4. Ruturaj Gaikwad to Retain Middle-Order Spot

Recently, the spot for the middle order heated up after Devdutt Padikkal and Sarfaraz Khan produced strong performances in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. Ruturaj Gaikwad was injured Shreyas Iyer’s replacement in the middle order for the ODI series against South Africa, and scored a century in the Raipur ODI. Despite being a top-order batter, Gaikwad showed his versatility to play in the middle order.

In the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, Gaikwad batted at No.4 and scored a century against Uttarakhand, further strengthening his case to retain middle order spot for the ODI series against New Zealand. The selectors will likely favour Ruturaj over Devdutt or Sarfaraz, given his existing ODI experience and recent international century. Shreyas Iyer is unlikely to be fit in time before the ODI series as he is yet to regain full fitness after losing weight and mass muscle following a spleen surgery in October last year.

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5. Ishan Kishan over Rishabh Pant as a second-choice wicketkeeper

Since KL Rahul is likely to be included as a first-choice wicketkeeper-batter, the selectors will have to pick a backup wicketkeeping option for the ODI series against New Zealand. Ishan Kishan is expected to get the nod over Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel, not only because of his impressive form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and first Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Karnataka, but also because he was picked in the India squad for the T20 World Cup.

It was reported that the selectors asked Ishan to take a rest after a 125-run knock against Karnataka in Jharkhand’s opening VHT because the BCCI advised workload management following his blistering form, resting him for a few fixtures before bringing him back into contention for India’s ODI squad. Though Dhruv Jurel performed exceptionally well in the ongoing VHT, selectors are likely to back Ishan Kishan due to his prior ODI experience and T20 World Cup inclusion.