The BCCI has announced a 15-man squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand, marking significant returns and strategic shifts ahead of the T20 World Cup. The headline news is the return of Shubman Gill as captain and Shreyas Iyer as vice-captain.
Shubman Gill returns to lead the side after missing the South Africa ODI series due to a neck spasm. He will be joined by Shreyas Iyer, who has been named vice-captain, subject to a final fitness clearance. Iyer is making a comeback after recovering from a spleen injury sustained in October 2025. Both leaders are expected to prove their match fitness in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on January 6, with Gill playing for Punjab and Iyer for Mumbai.
The pace department sees the return of Mohammed Siraj, replacing the younger crop to form a formidable attack alongside Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna. However, premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been rested to manage his workload for the upcoming T20 World Cup, as he has not yet been cleared to bowl his full 10-over quota. In a tough selection call, recent centurion Ruturaj Gaikwad has been dropped to accommodate the returning seniors, along with Tilak Varma and Dhruv Jurel.
Batters & Keepers: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC)*, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk). All-Rounders & Bowlers: Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana. (Note: Shreyas Iyer’s inclusion is subject to fitness clearance)
1st ODI: January 11 – Vadodara
2nd ODI: January 14 – Rajkot
3rd ODI: January 18 – Indore
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