Team India Announced For New Zealand Series: Rishabh Pant Keeps His Place While Mohammed Shami Faces Omission

India have named a fresh-looking squad for the three-match One-Day International series against New Zealand, with Shubman Gill leading the side. The series starts on January 11 at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara, followed by games in Rajkot and Indore.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed the group on Saturday, with several senior names included. All three ODIs are scheduled for January 11, 14 and 18, setting up the first big white-ball assignment of the new year.

India vs New Zealand ODI series leadership choices

Shubman Gill returns as captain after missing the recent ODI series in South Africa because of injury. Shreyas Iyer has been picked in the squad as vice-captain. However, BCCI stated that Iyer’s participation remains "subject to fitness clearance from BCCI COE," highlighting ongoing concerns.

Senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are part of the group, while KL Rahul features as one of two wicketkeepers. Rishabh Pant keeps his slot in the One-Day setup despite earlier reports about a possible exclusion, which did not materialise in this announcement.

India vs New Zealand ODI series selection calls

Ishan Kishan, who has re-entered India’s T20 plans, is not included in this ODI squad. All-rounder Hardik Pandya is also absent. The release explained, "Hardik Pandya has not been cleared by the BCCI COE to bowl 10 overs in a match, and considering the ICC Men's T20 World Cup to follow, his workload is being managed."

Nitish Kumar Reddy comes in to cover the all-rounder role in Hardik Pandya’s place. Among fast bowlers, Mohammed Siraj returns to the ODI mix. However, Mohammad Shami misses out, despite strong domestic performances in recent months, signalling that selectors may be looking beyond Shami for this format.

India vs New Zealand ODI series full squad details

The squad combines experienced names and younger options, with spin, pace and all-round skills spread across the group. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar strengthen the spin and lower-order batting. Kuldeep Yadav adds wrist-spin variety, while Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep Singh support the pace attack.

The complete India ODI squad for the New Zealand series is listed below in tabular form for clarity, including roles for key players. The selection reflects workload management before the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, while still aiming for a strong showing in this home assignment.

The New Zealand series offers Gill’s team a chance to test combinations before the ICC event, while also indicating shifting roles for names like Hardik Pandya and Mohammad Shami. With three games in six days, player fitness and rotation are likely to remain under close watch.