IND vs NZ ODI 2026: India Squad Announced, Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Siraj Make a Comeback

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)has revealed the list of players for the IND vs NZ ODI series. The series, consisting of three matches, India’s first series of 2026, will begin on January 11.

India cricket team ODI vice-captain, Shreyas Iyer, has been included in the team. However, it has been made contingent upon a fitness clearance from the BCCI's Centre of Excellence. As per the Reports, Shreyas had told the Mumbai Cricket Association that he should receive a fitness clearance from BCCI's CoE on Saturday.

×

India Founded: 1926

The India National Cricket Team represents India in international cricket and is one of the strongest teams in the world.

×

New Zealand Founded: 1894

The New Zealand cricket team, known as the Black Caps, is a competitive side in international cricket, having reached the finals of major tournaments such as the World Cup and the T20 World Cup.

India has undergone certain changes in their team from the last one that played in the South Africa series. The players who are not in the team are Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dhruv Jurel, and Tilak Varma. Siraj, who last played in the IND vs AUS ODI series, will be seen in the 50-ball team.

×

Rohit Sharma Batter

Rohit Sharma, known as ‘Hitman’, is an Indian cricketer who plays for Mumbai and the Indian cricket team.

×

Virat Kohli Batter

Virat Kohli (born Nov 5, 1988) is an Indian batting phenomenon, nicknamed "King Kohli," known for record-breaking runs, fitness, and leading India to major titles like the 2011 World Cup, known for his aggressive style, playing for India, Delhi, and RCB in IPL, holding records for ODI centuries (50+), fastest to numerous ODI milestones, winning ICC awards (Cricketer of the Decade), and married to actress Anushka Sharma, a true modern cricket legend.

India has made some considerable changes to their squad from the one that played in the South Africa series. Out go Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dhruv Jurel, Tilak Varma, and in come Siraj, who was last seen in action in the IND vs AUS ODI series, returns to the 50-ball setup.

Meanwhile, Pant, who was part of the IND vs SA series but warmed the bench throughout, has been retained in the side, perhaps as the second wicket-keeper. The selectors have also persisted with Jaiswal as the backup opener.

×

Shreyas Iyer Batter

Shreyas Santosh Iyer is an Indian right-handed middle-order batsman, known for his aggressive style, playing for India, Mumbai, and captaining Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL; he made a significant impact in the 2023 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy, scoring centuries in Tests/ODIs and leading KKR to an IPL title before his record-breaking move to PBKS, earning him a central contract recall despite initial setbacks.

And finally, the exclusion of Hardik Pandya from the squad for the IND vs NZ ODI series, which was said to be "Hardik Pandya has not been cleared by the BCCI COE to bowl 10 overs in a match. While considering the ICC Men's T20 World Cup is in mind, his workload management is being taken care of.

IND vs NZ ODIs: India squad

Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC)*, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal

IND vs NZ ODIs: schedule

×

Top 3 possible Mustafizur Rahman replacements for KKR The BCCI has told Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to remove their Bangladeshi player, Mustafizur Rahman, from the team for the next IPL.

by Dwijesh January 3, 2026