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It is simply a face-off betwixt the apical 2 teams successful the ICC ODI rankings. It is besides a repetition of the Champions Trophy final.
Not excessively agelong ago, a three-match ODI bid betwixt India and New Zealand would person been among the astir anticipated contests connected the planetary calendar.
But successful a T20-driven cricketing landscape, ODIs person struggled for relevance. With the countdown to the Men’s T20 World Cup already underway, bilateral ODI bid are nary longer accorded the aforesaid significance. In fact, they are often weighed astir connected par with home performances erstwhile it comes to Test enactment crossed the globe.
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Still, determination is much to India’s three-match ODI bid against New Zealand, opening connected Sunday (January 11, 2026), than conscionable the Ro-Ko euphoria.
For starters, some the skipper and vice-captain (Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer) are returning from wounded layoffs.
They volition person points to beryllium aft being overlooked for the T20 World Cup. Gill missed retired astatine the past infinitesimal contempt being the T20I vice-captain successful the lead-up, portion Shreyas has progressively been bracketed arsenic an ODI specializer implicit the past mates of years.
Unsurprisingly, the duo was among the 7 batters who had an extended workout astatine the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium connected Saturday afternoon.
Gill missed the remainder of the South Africa circuit aft suffering a cervix spasm successful the bid opener, portion the Mumbaikar is acceptable to instrumentality aft recovering from an abdominal teardrop sustained successful Australia past October. Both volition beryllium anxious to marque an interaction arsenic men’s planetary cricket returns to Vadodara aft a 15-year hiatus.
Besides Gill and Shreyas, Mohammed Siraj volition besides beryllium keen to find his bushed aft being rested for the South Africa series. While Virat Kohli took it casual alongside the bowlers, Rohit Sharma turned up for a little batting session. Rishabh Pant, who took a stroke to the abdomen during nett practice, volition beryllium hoping to get an accidental astatine immoderate signifier during the series.
While India volition look to support its formidable location record, New Zealand volition trust heavy connected youth. With Mitchell Santner acceptable to articulation the squad for the consequent T20I series, all-rounder Michael Bracewell volition pb an inexperienced side.
Seasoned campaigners specified arsenic Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell and Kyle Jamieson volition request to usher the radical if the visitors are to situation an ODI powerhouse connected its ain turf. Pacer Kristian Clarke is expected to marque his planetary debut connected Sunday.
The teams (from): India: Shubman Gill (Capt.), Shreyas Iyer (Vice-capt.), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, K.L. Rahul (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
New Zealand: Michael Bracewell (Capt.), Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay (wk), Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae and Will Young.
Match starts astatine 1.30 p.m.
