Overview
- BCCI confirmed Rishabh Pant suffered a side strain with an oblique muscle tear in training and the selectors named Dhruv Jurel as his replacement for the series.
- Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to field in Vadodara, where the BCA Kotambi ground is hosting its first men’s international.
- India picked a six-bowler XI featuring the returns of Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Siraj, with KL Rahul taking the gloves.
- New Zealand are without several regulars as Michael Bracewell leads a fresh-look side that includes Kristian Clarke on ODI debut and Adithya Ashok as lead spinner, with Kyle Jamieson spearheading the pace.
- The ODI leg runs Jan 11–18 across Vadodara, Rajkot and Indore, to be followed by five T20Is as part of World Cup preparation.