With the T20I series done and dusted, the focus will next shift to a five-match ODI series between India and New Zealand, with the first ODI set to take place at Auckland’s Eden Park on Wednesday.
The ODI series will act as an ideal preparation for both teams leading up to the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The is scheduled to take place between 2 October and 21 November.
The Shreyas Iyer-led sealed the T20I series against the Black Caps with a 3-2 margin. India sealed the series by winning the first three T20Is, before registered two consecutive wins to avoid a whitewash.
Shubman Gill will lead the Indian ODI side that features both veterans, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who now play only the 50-over format after having retired from Tests and T20Is. The BCCI announced separate squads for the ODI series against the Kiwis.
While Shubman Gill will lead the Men in Blue for the first three ODIs, Iyer will take over captaincy duties for the last two ODIs. This is because regular seniors like Gill and KL Rahul will then leave early to prepare for the two-match Test series against the Kiwis.
Wellington’s Basin Reserve will host the first Test from 19 November, whereas the ODI series conclude four days earlier at Mount Maunganui in Bay Oval. The two-match Test series is part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship () cycle, wherein India are in fourth place with a points percentage (PCT) of 51.52.
New Zealand, on the other hand, have problems of their own. Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman have been ruled out of the ODI series due to respective injuries, whereas Devon Conway will miss the first ODI following a training ground collision with Matt Henry. Pacers Zak Foulkes and Will O’Rourke have also been ruled out of the ODI series due to injuries.
India and New Zealand have locked horns in 123 ODIs till date. India have won 63 matches whereas the Kiwis have won 52 matches. One match, at Eden Park, ended in a tie in 2014. Seven other matches have ended in no-results.
According to Accuweather, rain has been predicted in the morning in Auckland from 9 AM local time. While the rain is expected to recede around 11 AM local time, the skies are likely to remain cloudy.
However, the good news is that by 3 PM, the scheduled start time of the match, the skies are expected to be partly sunny, which means we should witness a full game, even if it is a delayed start. The temperature is expected to hover around 19-20 degrees Celsius during the match.
Fans in India can watch the first ODI between India and New Zealand on several Sony Sports Network TV channels, with commentary available in English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada.
Live streaming of the match will be available on the Sony LIV app and website, with the aforementioned language options for commentary.
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul (wk), Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav/Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh.
New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, and Jacob Duffy.
