5 big reasons to watch IND vs NZ ODI series

The IND vs NZ ODI series will begin on January 11 at Vadodara as both teams will lock horns in a three-match series.

India’s first white-ball assignment of 2026 is an ODI series against New Zealand starting from Sunday, January 11. The Men in Blue had a memorable 2025 where they dominated white-ball cricket. They finished 2025 as the number-one-ranked team. The ODI series will begin their road to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, set to be played in South Africa next year.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the New Zealand Cricket Board have both announced their squads for the three-match series. Shubman Gill will lead the Indian team, while Michael Bracewell will lead the Kiwis. The first ODI will be played in Vadodaraon January 11. The second ODI will be played in Rajkot (January 14) followed by the third in Indore (January 18).

Both teams have plenty of young players looking to grab the opportunities that might come in this series. Several Kiwi players will be playing for the very first time in the series and will get a taste of Indian conditions.

The last timer both these two teams met in an ODI was the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final and the rivalry will resume with this enticing three-match series. It is expected to be a close contest between the two teams and in this article, we will have a look at five reasons why every Indian fan should watch this IND vs NZ ODI series.

5 Reasons to watch IND vs NZ ODI series

1) The return of Rohit Sharma – Virat Kohli

“RoKo” will be back in Indian colours after a month-long gap since winning the ODI series against South Africa. Both Rohit and Kohli play just the ODI format now, having retired from Test and T20I cricket. The return of the former Indian captains is a massive reason why every Indian fan should watch the series. Both Rohit and Kohli are in good nick, having recently played two games in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025 and both of them would be keen to make a massive impact in the series.

2) First ODI series at home for Shubman Gill as India’s ODI captain

This is the very first ODI series for Shubman Gill at home as India’s ODI captain. He lost his first series as ODI captain down under against Australia 2-1. Gill has been struggling with his batting form of late as well that saw him being snubbed from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad despite being the team’s vice-captain. He would want to prove a point to the management by scoring a few runs with the bat in the series.

3) Shreyas Iyer’s comeback after injury

The IND vs NZ ODI series will also see the return of Shreyas Iyer to the Indian ODI squad. He returns as the vice-captain after recovering from a spleen injury, which he suffered in the third ODI against Australia. He had to go for a surgery and now he has been cleared by the BCCI to join the squad for the series.

Iyer is also in line for a T20I comeback following Tilak Varma’s injury. He would be keen to make a strong comeback and prove his worth.

4) Mohammed Siraj’s comeback in ODIs

The IND vs NZ series will also see the comeback of Mohammed Siraj, who was dropped for the ODI series against South Africa. Siraj has a big job on his hands to fill in for the absence of Bumrah and Shami. The Indian pacer has been a regular feature in Tests alongside Bumrah. This is a big series for the Hyderabad pacer, who is three games shy of playing 50 ODIs for India.

5) Nitish Reddy stepping in for Hardik Pandya

The IND vs NZ ODIs will be a big series for Nitish Reddy, who has been selected as Hardik Pandya’s replacement. Hardik has been rested for the ODIs, keeping in mind the T20 World Cup 2026. Hence, Reddy has been picked as his replacement. The all-rounder has been in and out of the Indian side, and the IND vs NZ ODI series will be a great opportunity to make impact with bat and ball and seal his place in ODI team.

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