BCCI on Saturday announced the team for the ODI series against New Zealand starting from January 11. Rituraj Gaikwad, who scored a century in the last match, was not selected in the team. Captain Shubman Gill returned and Shreyas Iyer was selected as the vice-captain. The board said that Iyer will be able to play only after fitness clearance by BCCI’s Center of Excellence. Former Indian cricketer Subramaniam is unhappy with the selection of Nitish Kumar Reddy in the team instead of Badrinath Gaikwad.

Former cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath raised questions on the selection of the ODI team against New Zealand. Especially after Rituraj Gaikwad was out and Nitish Kumar Reddy was elected. Giving his opinion in a YouTube video, he said that he could not understand the reason for Nitish’s election. Especially when there are already many experienced all-rounders in the team. According to him, whenever Gaikwad got a chance, he performed well and it is unfortunate to drop him from the team.

What did Badrinath say?

He said, “There are 2 all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, along with them Nitish Kumar Reddy is also in the team. I don’t know why he is in the team. Why is he not in the team and why is Nitish Kumar Reddy in the team? There is definitely something wrong. The rest of the team selections were as expected and very good. The only concern is the selection of Nitish Kumar Reddy in place of Rituraj Gaikwad.”

Rituraj Gaikwad had played a brilliant inning of 105 runs in the second match of the last ODI series, which was his last ODI innings. Their batsman did not come in the third match. He also scored a century (124) against Uttarakhand in Vijay Hazare Trophy.

It is believed that Nitish Kumar Reddy has been selected in the absence of Hardik Pandya. BCCI had said in its statement, “Hardik Pandya has not been given permission by the BCCI COE to bowl 10 overs in a match, and his workload is being managed in view of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.”

India’s ODI squad

Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal.

The next ODI series of the Indian cricket team is against New Zealand, the first match of which will be played on 11 January. BCCI announced the ODI team on Saturday, in which captain Shubhman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer have returned. However, despite scoring a century in the last match, Ruturaj Gaikwad did not get a place, due to which some fans on social media are criticizing Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar and Coach Gautam Gambhir.

Ruturaj Gaikwad had scored 105 runs in the second ODI played against South Africa in Raipur, but he did not bat in the third match of the series. Gaikwad played a brilliant inning of 124 runs against Uttarakhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on 31 December, despite being dropped from the ODI team against New Zealand.

What did Ravichandran Ashwin write?

After the announcement of the ODI team against New Zealand, former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin made a post on X. He posted a photo of Rituraj Gaikwad and hashtagged his name, writing, “No matter how you feel. Get up, get ready, wear pads, go to the field and never give up. It may be difficult to ignore, but such is the competition for a place in the Indian team.”

No matter how you feel.

Get up, dress up, pad up, show up and never give up.

It can be hard to miss but such is the competition for places in the Indian team. #RuturajGaikwad pic.twitter.com/A1taarpMdF

— Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) January 3, 2026

Criticism is being received on social media

One user wrote, “BCCI is doing the same again! Recently dropped Ruturaj Gaikwad from the team despite his ODI century and excellent domestic form, only to make way for the returning players. Continuity? Merit? What is all this?”

BCCI at it again! Dropping Ruturaj Gaikwad after his recent ODI century and stellar domestic form, just to accommodate returning players.

Consistency? Merit? What’s that?

#BCCI #IndianCricket #RuturajGaikwad pic.twitter.com/OfUGhMy9Vf

— Shreya (@shreyagenai) January 3, 2026

Questions are also being raised on the selection of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, while many fans are raising questions as to what does the performance and form in the domestic tournament mean? Many fans are angry at Mohammed Shami being ignored, who are asking questions to the selection committee on social media as to why he is being kept out to bring a player like him.

India’s ODI squad against New Zealand

Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal.

All eyes are on the ODI squad against New Zealand, it remains to be seen whether vice-captain Shreyas Iyer is included in the team or not. BCCI can announce the squad on Saturday. Before this, a big update has come on Iyer’s fitness.

Shreyas Iyer is currently rehabbing at the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru. He was injured while fielding on the Australia tour. He fell while taking a catch and suffered internal injuries and internal bleeding. He was also out of the 3-match ODI series against South Africa, now fans are hoping that he will return from the ODI series against New Zealand.

Update on Shreyas Iyer’s fitness

According to the report, Shreyas Iyer has successfully completed his first match simulation session at BCCI’s Center of Excellence. He will do another similar session on January 5. If he passes it, the COE medical team will give him the necessary clearance to play domestic and international cricket.”

Shreyas Iyer impressed with his batting during the Australia tour. In the last match of the series, he got injured while fielding, at that time it appeared to be a normal injury but the scan revealed internal bleeding. After this he was admitted to a hospital in Sydney.

The first ODI against New Zealand will be played on 11 January. The second ODI will be held on 14th and the third match will be held on 18th January. That means, if the squad is announced on January 3, then Shreyas Iyer can be included, but BCCI will make it clear that the final decision on his playing will depend on the medical report.

shreyas iyer career

Talking about Iyer’s international career, he scored 811, 2917 and 1104 runs for India in 14 Tests, 73 ODIs and 51 T20 matches respectively. He has scored 5 centuries in ODI and 1 century in Test. Iyer is the captain of Punjab Kings in IPL 2026. Under his captaincy, he took Punjab to the final last year. The update regarding Iyer is also good news for Punjab.

Indian cricket team’s first series this year is against New Zealand, whose first match is on 11 January. BCCI has not yet announced the team for this 3-match ODI series. It is likely that the Indian team will be announced on Saturday, January 3. Before this, former cricketer Aakash Chopra has chosen his team.

India’s last ODI series was against South Africa, in which KL Rahul captained in the absence of Shubman Gill. India had won this series by 2-1. Virat Kohli had scored a century in 2 out of 3 matches and a half-century in one. Rohit Sharma and Kohli are in great form.

Aakash Chopra included Shubman Gill as captain in his team, although the surprising thing was that he also included Rituraj Gaikwad in his team. Actually, in the last series, Gaikwad was a part of the team due to Gill’s absence. The former cricketer chose Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul as the 2 wicketkeepers in his team while not Dhruv Jurel or Ishan Kishan. Let us tell you that Pant was a part of the team in the last ODI series, but he did not get a place in the playing 11.

What is Rishabh Pant’s mistake?

Aakash Chopra said, “I will keep Rishabh Pant at number-14, although there will be talk on why Pant was included, why not Ishan Kishan or Dhruv Jurel? You can keep anyone, but tell me what is Pant’s fault?”

‘Shreyas Iyer’s exit is certain’

Regarding the inclusion of Ruturaj Gaikwad in the team, Aakash Chopra said that Shreyas Iyer is almost certain to be out of the series as he has not got the clearance yet and hence, Gaikwad can continue to play at number 4 or 5.

Aakash Chopra said, “The update on Shreyas Iyer is that he will not be available for this series. So don’t be surprised if his name is not in the team, and if his name is not there, then Gaikwad will continue to play at number four. KL Rahul has been kept at number 5 as a wicketkeeper, batsman and probably the vice-captain in the team.”

Aakash Chopra also included Mohammed Siraj in his team, who last played against Australia in October. However, Chopra also did not give place to Mohammed Shami in his team.

Indian team selected by Aakash Chopra

Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul, Axar Patel/Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Tilak Verma, Harshit Rana, Mohammad Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya will not play in India’s next ODI series, which starts from January 11. On the India tour, the New Zealand team will play a 5-match T20 series after the 3-match ODI series, which will be the last opportunity to test the preparations for the T20 World Cup 2026.

According to the report of Cricbuzz, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya will be rested in the 3-match ODI series against New Zealand. Both will return in the upcoming 5 T20 match series, for which BCCI has announced the team.

Keep a close eye on Bumrah’s workload

Jasprit Bumrah has not played any ODI for India since the 2023 World Cup. According to the report, the fast bowler’s workload is being closely monitored. The next main target of BCCI is the T20 World Cup, which is to be held in India and Sri Lanka between February 7 and 8.

Resting Jasprit Bumrah from the ODI series against New Zealand means that the board does not want Bumrah to be given the load in matches which are not very important. Especially when the T20 World Cup 2026 will start within 10 days of the 5-match T20 series.

The board does not want to give load to Hardik also

Hardik Pandya has been the main player of the team for some time as an all-rounder, who is performing brilliantly with bat and ball. He can bowl in powerplay and death overs. Although he has not played any ODI since the Champions Trophy, his exclusion was due to fitness reasons. In such a situation, he can also be rested in the ODI series against New Zealand, which is not a very important series.

Domestic cricket is also an important aspect in Hardik’s case. According to the report, he can play 2 matches for Baroda in Vijay Hazare Trophy.

India vs New Zealand ODI series schedule

• 11 January- Vadodara
• 14 January- Rajkot
• 18 January- Indore

Yashasvi Jaiswal had scored a century in India’s last ODI match, for which he also received the Player of the Match award. Despite this, he may be out of the ODI team against New Zealand. India vs New Zealand 3 match ODI series will start from January 11, for which the team has not been announced yet.

Yashasvi Jaiswal had scored a century in the third ODI against South Africa played in Visakhapatnam. He scored 116 runs in 121 balls, in which he hit 2 sixes and 12 fours. Then why is it difficult for him to get a place in the next series? The reason behind this is Shubman Gill!

Gill’s return makes Jaiswal’s place difficult

Shubman Gill was injured in the Test series against South Africa, after which he had to be ruled out of the entire ODI series. He made a comeback from the T20 series, although his performance in it was not good. Gill is not a part of the T20 World Cup and the T20 series against New Zealand, but the ODI captain will return from the ODI series against New Zealand.

Shubman Gill starts the innings with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli comes at number three. In such a situation, replacing Yashasvi Jaiswal will be difficult. Jaiswal has scored 171 runs in 4 ODI matches played for India, which includes a century.

26-year-old Gill was appointed Test and ODI captain by BCCI this year. Gill has scored 2818 runs for India in 58 ODI matches with a strike rate of 99.22. He has scored 8 centuries and 15 half-centuries in ODIs.

Gill and Jaiswal as openers

Shubhman Gill has scored 2552 runs in 53 ODI matches for India as an opener, in which there are 7 centuries and 14 half-centuries. His highest score is 208 runs.

Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored 171 runs in 4 ODI matches played for India as an opener. In the last match, he played his biggest ODI innings, he scored an unbeaten 116 runs.

India’s probable squad against NZ

Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

The next international series of the Indian cricket team is against New Zealand. The India tour will start with a series of 3 ODI matches, the first match of which will be held on January 11 at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara. BCCI can announce the team in the first week of January. 2 changes are possible in the team.

Indian Test and ODI team captain Shubman Gill was injured in the first Test against South Africa. He suffered a leg injury, after which he was out of the Test and then the entire ODI series. Although he returned from the T20 series, his performance was poor. The result of this was that he was not selected in the team for the T20 World Cup.

Will Shreyas Iyer return?

Talking about Shreyas Iyer, he was badly injured during the Australia tour, he is currently undergoing rehabilitation process at BCCI’s Center of Excellence. The good thing is that Iyer has started practicing batting in the nets, which is very good news for his comeback.

Difficult to have Ishaan or Padikkal in the team

Ishan Kishan and Devdutt Padikkal are performing brilliantly in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but right now there is no place for them in the team. Ishaan has been selected for the T20 World Cup and the T20 series against New Zealand, but he may have to wait for the ODIs. On the other hand, despite Vijay Hazare scoring two consecutive centuries, it seems difficult for Padikkal to be selected in the team.

Tilak Verma and Dhruv Jurel will be out

With the arrival of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Verma and Dhruv Jurel will have to be out. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant will be included in the team as 2 wicketkeepers, Tilak Verma may also have to go out, who was the backup of Rituraj Gaikwad.

Pandya and Bumrah rested

Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah can be rested from the ODI series. Both are important players in the T20 World Cup, due to workload management they will be rested from the ODI series against New Zealand. He has not played in the last 2 ODI series for India, and this will continue.

Akshar Patel did not play in the ODI against South Africa, the BCCI did not give the reason that he was rested and was ruled out. He may also be out of the ODI series against New Zealand. Ravindra Jadeja may get his last chance, whose performance in the last few matches in this format has not been good. He was dropped from the team in Australia and could not impress with the ball against South Africa.

India’s probable ODI squad against New Zealand

Shubman Gill (captain), Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana.

India’s next international series is against New Zealand. The 3-match ODI series will start from January 11, for which BCCI is yet to announce the team. All eyes are on the return of Shreyas Iyer, whether he will be included in this series. Iyer is currently undergoing rehab process at BCCI’s Center of Excellence, he has started batting in the nets. Vice-captain Iyer himself has shared its video.

Shreyas Iyer is the vice-captain of the Indian ODI team, who was injured in the third ODI on the Australia tour. He dived for the catch, during which his ribs got hurt. He was in pain, after which he was taken out of the field. The report revealed internal bleeding, after which he had to be admitted to the hospital. Now the news about him is positive, he is recovering fast and has started practicing batting in the nets.

Shreyas Iyer’s first net season after injury at CCI on 24th December

He batted around one hour without any discomfort and went to coe the next day
He is currently at coe pic.twitter.com/zUj4KnL6sL

— Sawai96 (@Aspirant_9457) December 26, 2025

Will Iyer play in IND vs NZ ODI series?

India vs New Zealand 3 match ODI series will start from January 11, the first match will be played in Vadodara. The second match will be held on 14th January in Rajkot and the third match will be held in Indore on 18th January. After this, a 5-match T20 series will be played between the two countries, for which BCCI has announced the squad but the ODI team is yet to be announced.

Shreyas Iyer is currently in the BCCI Center of Excellence, is recovering fast and has also started batting practice but it is difficult for him to return from the ODI series against New Zealand. BCCI would not like to rush into the return of the vice-captain, but yes, if he is completely fit, he can play in this series.

In a report of Times of India, quoting a source, it was said that Shreyas Iyer is doing gym regularly, there is no problem with him but whether he plays or not will depend on the report of the Center of Excellence.