India and New Zealand kick off their three-match ODI series on Sunday at the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium in Vadodara. Stars like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are returning, while captain Shubman Gill is eager to prove his form. Concerns arise after wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant was hit during training.
India and New Zealand will play the first ODI on January 11, 2026, at the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium in Vadodara. This marks the venue's first men's international match. The toss is scheduled for 1 pm, with the match starting at 1:30 pm IST. It will be broadcast on Star Sports and streamed live on JioHotstar.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are in excellent form in ODI cricket. This series is India's last ODI assignment until June 2026. The duo aims to deliver strong performances against New Zealand to silence critics during their upcoming rest period. Kohli has scored 1657 runs in 33 matches against New Zealand, including six centuries, while Rohit has 1073 runs.
Captain Shubman Gill will play his first match for India since being excluded from the T20 World Cup squad. Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer are recovering from injuries. Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant suffered a blow above the waist during training on Saturday. The predicted Indian XI includes: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Shreyas Iyer (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.
New Zealand's predicted XI: Devon Conway (wk), Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell (c), Josh Clarkson, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Aditya Ashok, Michael Rae. The teams last met in an ODI during the 2025 Champions Trophy final, where India emerged victorious. The second match is on January 14 in Rajkot, and the third on January 18 in Indore.
