Rohit, Kohli included; Shubman Gill back, Pant Out: India strongest squad for NZ ODIs

Kohli, Rohit and Gill [Source: AFP]

After securing a memorable triumph over South Africa, India are gearing up to take on New Zealand in a three-match ODI series on home soil. While the T20 World Cup bound players will focus on the shortest format, the New Zealand ODIs will serve as a perfect platform for the players to fine-tune their game in the 50-over format. 

New Zealand will tour India for three ODIs and five T20Is against the host nation. The tour starts with the ODI series, and the matches will be played at Vadodara, Rajkot and Indore. 

As the Men in Blue get ready to face the BlackCaps, let's analyse and find out their strongest possible combination for this series. 

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma to retain their spots; will Shubman Gill be back?

(Kohli, Rohit's stats in SA ODIs)

India's talismanic batting duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will retain their spots, having performed admirably in the South Africa series. While Kohli hammered two blistering centuries, Rohit struck 146 runs at an average of 48.67 and a strike rate of 110.61. So, Rohit will continue to open the batting, while Kohli will come out to bat at number three. 

Meanwhile, there are doubts over Shubman Gill's availability, as the Indian ODI captain recently sustained a toe injury during the T20I series against South Africa. However, considering he has been travelling with the team, it's expected that his injury is minor and he will likely get into the Indian squad for the New Zealand ODIs, starting January 11. 

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No clarity on Iyer; Rishabh Pant might lose his place

Shreyas Iyer doesn't seem to have recovered from the spleen injury that jeopardised his participation in the South Africa ODIs on home soil. As per the latest update, Iyer is most likely to miss out on the New Zealand series. 

So, Ruturaj Gaikwad, who showcased his brilliance by amassing 113 runs at a superb strike rate of 116.49, will likely retain his place as India's designated number four in Iyer's absence. Considering Dhruv Jurel was already in the ODI scheme of things, it might be Rishabh Pant who could lose his place from the side despite not getting a game against South Africa. 

India had an opportunity to include Rishabh Pant in their XI for the decider in Visakhapatnam. However, given that they preferred Tilak Varma for his all-round skills, we reckon the Hyderabad batter could pip Pant in the race and keep his spot in the ODI squad. 

Meanwhile, KL Rahul, who led India against South Africa in Gill's absence, will play as the first-choice wicket-keeper against New Zealand. 

Bumrah, Pandya rested; Harshit to lead pace attack with Arshdeep

(Harshit Rana in last 6 ODI matches)

Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are India's two most crucial players for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Therefore, the Men in Blue will likely pick them for the T20I series and rest them for the ODIs. 

Harshit Rana is in scintillating form of late in ODIs, scalping ten wickets in his last six matches. The right-arm pacer will likely spearhead the Indian pace battery with Arshdeep Singh, who can emerge as a potent threat to the Kiwi batting unit with his left-arm angle and ability to move the new ball in the air and off the surface. 

Talking about India's spin bowling department, Axar Patel could make his return after missing the South Africa T20Is due to illness. 

Although India tried Washington Sundar as a batting allrounder against the Proteas, the southpaw had a miserable time, scoring 14 runs and failing to scalp a wicket across two outings. So, Axar should be recalled and reinstated at five if India plan to persist with KL Rahul as their number six batter. 

If Pandya is rested, Nitish Kumar Reddy will likely retain his spot as the seam-bowling allrounder. 

India's strongest squad for NZ ODIs

Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Tilak Varma

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