IND vs NZ: What to Expect from Team India in ODI Series against New Zealand?

Team India kicks off 2027 World Cup prep with a 3-match ODI series vs New Zealand. Rohit and Kohli in form, Gill aiming to impress, Siraj leads young pacers, India seeks a settled middle order, and to extend home dominance over the Kiwis.

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India Begins 2027 World Cup Prep with NZ ODI Series

Team India will officially begin their preparations for the 2027 World Cup with the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting on January 11. The opening game will take place at Kottambi Stadium in Vodadara, and then the action will move to Rajkot for the second ODI on January 14 before wrapping up the series with the third ODI at Indore on January 18.

The upcoming ODI series against New Zealand is Team India’s first assignment of the year 2026 before the T20I leg of the home white-ball series. The Men in Blue will play six ODI series this year, and New Zealand will provide the first real test of India’s squad balance and combinations to fine-tune their line-up ahead of the remaining ODI series and the 2027 World Cup.

On that note, let’s take a look at what to expect from Team India in ODI series against New Zealand.

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Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in Top Form

Indian batting stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, returned to the national side after a short break following their Vijay Hazare Trophy return in December last year. The batting duo heads into the ODI series against New Zealand with impressive form from the ODI series against South Africa and their two outings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai and Delhi, respectively.

In the South Africa ODI series, Kohli aggregated 302 runs at an average of 151, while Rohit scored 146 runs at an average of 48.60 in three matches each. In VHT, Virat Kohli had a remarkable comeback to the tournament after 15 years and scored 131 and 77 against Andhra and Gujarat, respectively. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, made his India List A domestic return after seven years and scored 155 against Sikkim before falling for a golden duck against Uttarakhand.

As India begins their preparations for the 2027 World Cup, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are expected to make this series count as they look to build momentum ahead of the marquee event.

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2. Shubman Gill to Make Statement after T20 WC 2026 Snub

Shubman Gill is set to make his first appearance for Team India since his omission from the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026. Appointed as T20I vice-captain ahead of the Asia Cup last year, Gill was surprisingly dropped from the squad for the marquee event. However, the BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that lack of runs and combinations were factors behind the decision to drop Gill from the squad.

Gill struggled to maintain consistency since his return to the T20I setup, scoring 291 runs at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26 in 15 matches. After recovering from niggle sustained ahead of the fourth T20I against South Africa, Shubman Gill made his return to competitive cricket in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he scored just 11 in his only outing against Goa in Jaipur.

However, India's ODI and Test captain will be keen to put behind recent setbacks and make a strong statement in the ODI series against New Zealand. His impressive ODI record against the Kiwis, amassing 603 runs at an average of 69.2 in 12 matches, will boost his confidence heading into the series.

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3. A Settled Middle Order Combination

The current Team India management, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir, has often experimented with the middle order in order to find the right combinations, testing different players and batting slots rather than sticking to one set line-up. In the ODI series against Australia, all-rounder Axar Patel batted at No.5, and KL Rahul batted at No.6.

In the South Africa ODI series, Washington Sundar batted at No.6 and No.5 in the first two matches, respectively, before he was dropped from the series finale and replaced by Tilak Varma, who was slotted to No.5. Over the last two ODI series, Team India management tested six different players, including Ruturaj Gaikwad, across the No. 4–6 positions,

With the return of Shreyas Iyer, who has been declared fit and drafted to the India squad after recovering from a spleen injury sustained in Australia, and KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja available, India aim for a settled middle order against New Zealand.

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4. Siraj to Lead Young Pace Attack

With Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya rested to manage their workload ahead of the T20I series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup 2026, and Mohammed Shami snubbed again from the India squad, the pace bowling attack is expected to be led by Mohammed Siraj, supported by Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna, giving India a mix of experience and fresh options to challenge New Zealand’s batting.

In the ODI series against South Africa, India did not have an experienced seamer in the attack, leaving a relatively inexperienced unit consisting of Arshdeep, Harshit, and Prasidh to shoulder the workload, which drew criticism after South Africa successfully chased a big total in the second ODI.

Having an experienced pacer like Mohammed Siraj in the attack gives India a reliable spearhead, balancing the inexperience of supporting seamers and providing crucial breakthroughs against New Zealand.

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5. India to Extend Dominance over New Zealand

Team India has never lost a series or a tournament against New Zealand at home and holds a strong head-to-head record in ODIs. winning 31 matches out of 40, while New Zealand managed just 8 victories on Indian soil. India and New Zealand faced off in eight bilateral ODI series since 1987, and the Men in Blue won all eight series, maintaining an unbroken home record against the Kiwis.

After the 2023 ODI World Cup final defeat, Team India played five ODI series, losing one against Sri Lanka in 2024, while winning the other four against South Africa (twice), England, and Australia in 2025, continuing their dominant run and reinforcing their status as favorites against New Zealand at home.