The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced two separate squads for the five-match ODI series against New Zealand on Friday, October 16. Shubman Gill will captain the side for the first three matches, while Shreyas Iyer takes charge for the final two games. Notably, Ravindra Jadeja has been left out of both squads.
The series begins in Auckland on November 4, with further matches scheduled in Wellington, Hamilton and Mount Maunganui. India will return to ODI cricket after recently completing a three-match series against the West Indies, where Rohit Sharma scored 225 runs, and Virat Kohli finished with 168 runs across the three games.
Both Rohit and Kohli have been named in squads for all five matches. Iyer will serve as vice-captain under Gill for the first three ODIs, while Ishan Kishan will take on the vice-captain's role for the fourth and fifth games under Iyer's leadership.
What does the squad split mean for India's selection approach?
The BCCI's decision to name two distinct squads reflects an intent to give different players game time ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup. The first squad includes KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan as the two wicketkeepers, alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav.
For the fourth and fifth ODIs, Gill, Rahul, Prasidh Krishna and Kamboj exit the squad. Tilak Varma, Kumar Kushagra, Yash Thakur and Auqib Nabi come in as replacements. Kushagra, who will keep wicket alongside Kishan in the later games, has received his maiden call-up to the senior India ODI side.
Mohammed Shami was not included in either squad despite widespread reports suggesting he could make a comeback during this series. Jasprit Bumrah has also been left out of the ODI squads, with his absence potentially linked to Test commitments. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was part of India's T20I squad for the New Zealand series, did not find a place in the ODI setup either.
What is the confirmed schedule for the five-match series?
The five-match ODI series against New Zealand begins on November 4 in Auckland. The remaining four games will be played across Wellington, Hamilton and Mount Maunganui, though the exact dates for each individual fixture beyond the first match have not been confirmed in the supplied information.
The series represents an important opportunity for India to assess their ODI combination with the 2027 World Cup in mind. The squad split across the five games means selectors will be able to evaluate a wider pool of players under two different captains, giving both Gill and Iyer leadership experience in the format.
India’s ODI squad for the first three ODIs:
Shubman Gill [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer [VC], KL Rahul [WK], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna*, Kuldeep Yadav
India’s ODI squad for fourth and fifth ODIs:
Shreyas Iyer [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav
*Subject to fitness
