Overview
- India face New Zealand in the first ODI on January 11 at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, the venue’s first men’s international, with further games on January 14 in Rajkot and January 18 in Indore.
- KL Rahul remains the first-choice wicketkeeper for the ODIs, and reports indicate Ishan Kishan is likely to be drafted into the squad as Pant’s replacement.
- New Zealand travel with a second-string side captained by Michael Bracewell, with Kane Williamson and Tom Latham unavailable and Mitchell Santner sidelined for the ODIs.
- Captain Shubman Gill leads a batting group anchored by Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, while Shreyas Iyer returns to bolster the middle order.
- India rest Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya as part of workload management before a five-match T20I series and the T20 World Cup.