IND vs NZ ODI 2026: India's Squad Likely To Undergo Major Changes For New Zealand Series

IND vs NZ ODI Series 2026: Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are expected to be rested for the upcoming one-day international (ODI) series against New Zealand. Team India is scheduled to play three ODIs against the Black Caps in January 2026.

According to Cricbuzz, Pandya and Bumrah may not take part in any of the three ODI matches, keeping in view the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

The three games will be played on Jan. 11 (Baroda), Jan. 14 (Rajkot) and Jan. 18 (Indore), while the ODI squad is expected to be announced by Jan. 4 or Jan. 5, 2026.

Both of them are expected to take part in the five-game T20I series against New Zealand, which will take place after the ODIs.

The matches will be played in Nagpur on Jan. 21, Raipur on Jan. 23, Guwahati on Jan. 25, Visakhapatnam on Jan. 28 and Thiruvananthapuram on Jan. 31. 

According to the report, Bumrah and Pandya are unlikely to take part in the ODI matches to focus on the T20 fixtures, especially the T20 World Cup 2026.

Pandya's last ODI match was in the Champions Trophy final in March. Since then, he has not played one-day matches due to fitness issues.

Bumrah, on the other hand, has not appeared in an ODI since the 2023 World Cup final.

Pandya is expected to remain available for Baroda for the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy matches. He could feature in the domestic competition to comply with the BCCI diktat of mandatory participation in domestic cricket matches.

As per Cricbuzz, Pandya could take part in two of the last three league matches in the ongoing domestic tournament for Baroda. The games are scheduled to take place on Jan. 3, 6 and 8. Recently, cricket fans witnessed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli play for Mumbai and Delhi in the first two games.

Virat Kohli will join Team India for the three ODIs against New Zealand next month, the report added, citing an official of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).

Kohli remained in the spotlight during the two Vijay Hazare Trophy games for Delhi on Dec. 24 and 26 in Bengaluru. He is next scheduled to return for the league match, which is scheduled to be played against Railways at the KSCA ground in Alur on Jan. 6.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma featured in the first two games for Mumbai in Jaipur. The Mumbai Cricket Association recently confirmed that he has finished the domestic matches for the ongoing season and will next appear in the ODI series against New Zealand.