The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to announce India’s ODI squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand in the first week of January, with the selection committee meeting scheduled for January 3, 2026.
After a stellar performance in the recent T20 series against South Africa on home soil, all attention has now shifted to the three-match ODI series against New Zealand starting on January 11. Notably, the selectors have already announced the squad for the T20 series against the Black Caps.
When will BCCI announce India’s ODI team?
The BCCI selection panel led by Ajit Agarkar is expected to hold an online meeting on Wednesday, January 3 to finalize the squad for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand.
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They will also play a five-match Test series, for which the BCCI has already announced the squad – the same squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka in February and March.
Now, a report in One Cricket suggests that the national selectors will meet in the first week of January to confirm the ODI squad for the New Zealand series, and an official announcement from the BCCI is likely to be made by the evening of January 3 or January 4, 2026.
Big comeback: ODI comeback of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
All eyes are on the return of senior stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the 50-over setup. Indian batsmen have been in great form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 after dominating the recent ODI series against South Africa on home soil.
The inclusion of Kohli and Rohit will strengthen India’s top-order for the big series as New Zealand have already announced their second-row squad for the ODI leg to rest their key players for the T20I leg of the India tour, keeping in mind the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Main selection headache and players in focus
The BCCI selectors are facing a pleasant but tough challenge with a number of players competing for limited spots in the ODI squad for the upcoming home series.
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– Middle order puzzle: With KL Rahul’s recent ODI matches under scrutiny, players like Ishan Kishan, who has performed brilliantly and recently scored a brilliant century in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, are working hard to make a comeback.
And then Shreyas Iyer is also in line to make a comeback.
-Shubhman Gill Question: India’s Test and ODI captain is under question after being dropped from the T20 World Cup squad. Although Gill is now fully fit from the neck injury, his form is still a major concern for the selectors. He could score only 80 runs in three innings at home.
Indian team for T20 series against New Zealand:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Verma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dubey, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakraborty, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel.
