BCCI to announce Indian ODI squad for New Zealand series on January 3; Focus on these players

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to announce the Indian ODI squad for the upcoming three-match ODI. series against New Zealand in the first week of January, with a selection committee meeting scheduled for January 3, 2026.

After a dominant performance in the recent T20I series against South Africa at home, the focus shifts to the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting January 11. Notably, the selectors have already named the team for the T20I series against the Black Caps.

When will BCCI announce Indian ODI squad?

The BCCI selection panel, headed by Ajit Agarkaris 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 from 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 on the evening of January 3 or January 4, 2026.

The big comeback: the ODI return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

All eyes are on the return of senior stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to the 50-over setup. Indian batting icons have been in scintillating form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 after dominating the recent ODI series against South Africa at home.

The inclusion of Kohli and Rohit would significantly strengthen India’s top spot for the big series as New Zealand have already named a second-string team for the ODI leg to rest their key players for the T20I leg of India’s tour, keeping in mind the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

Key selection issues and targeted players

The BCCI selectors face both an enjoyable and difficult challenge with several players vying for limited places in the ODI squad for the upcoming home series.

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– Middle order riddle: While KL Rahul’s recent ODI outings are under scrutiny, the likes of Ishan Kishan, who has been on fire and recently hit a stunning century in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, are lobbying for recall.

And then Shreyas Iyer is also in the running for a comeback.

– Shubman Gill’s question: The Indian Test and ODI captain is under the radar after being left out of the T20 World Cup squad. However, Gill is now fully fit following a neck injury but his form remains a major concern for the selectors. He only managed 80 runs in three innings at home.

Indian squad for T20I series against New Zealand:

India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek SharmaTilak Varma, Sanju Samson (week), Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan (week), Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel.