Shreyas Iyer has returned to India’s leadership group as vice-captain for the upcoming five-match ODI series against New Zealand. The middle-order batter missed the previous ODI series against the West Indies due to India’s T20I commitments at the Asian Games but is now back in the squad for the New Zealand tour.

Iyer will serve as vice-captain for the opening three ODIs before taking over as captain for the final two matches. Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has been appointed vice-captain for the fourth and fifth games.

The leadership changes will allow regular ODI captain Shubman Gill to focus on preparations for the subsequent two-Test series, which forms part of the World Test Championship cycle. Gill will lead India in the first three ODIs before turning his attention to the longer format.

Prasidh Krishna Returns, Subject to Fitness

Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna has also returned to the ODI squad for the opening three matches, although his availability remains subject to fitness clearance. He suffered a left hamstring injury during the second ODI against the West Indies and was replaced by Anshul Kamboj.

Kamboj has retained his place in the squad for the first three matches against New Zealand, providing India with another pace-bowling option. However, neither Prasidh nor Kamboj features in the squad announced for the final two ODIs, as both are also part of India’s Test plans.

Auqib Nabi has been included for the last two matches, giving the team another option in the pace department.

India Make Changes for the Final Two ODIs

The selectors have announced separate squads for the two halves of the series, with Tilak Varma and wicketkeeper Kumar Kushagra joining the group for the fourth and fifth matches.

Shreyas Iyer will lead the side during the final two ODIs, while Kishan will serve as vice-captain and take over wicketkeeping duties. KL Rahul, who is the designated wicketkeeper for the opening three games, is expected to focus on preparations for the Test series.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been included in both squads, providing India with experience at the top of the order. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav are also part of both groups.

The selection strategy reflects India’s need to manage player workloads while maintaining a competitive combination across the ODI and Test formats.

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India’s Squad for the First Three ODIs

Captain: Shubman Gill

Vice-captain: Shreyas Iyer

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna (subject to fitness), Kuldeep Yadav.

India’s Squad for the Fourth and Fifth ODIs

Captain: Shreyas Iyer

Vice-captain: Ishan Kishan

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav.

India vs New Zealand ODI Schedule

The five-match ODI series will begin on November 4, following India’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand. The opening game will be played in Auckland, with Wellington hosting the second ODI on November 7.

Hamilton will stage the third match on November 10, before the teams move to Mount Maunganui for the final two games on November 13 and 15.

The two-Test series will begin on November 19, leaving India with a short turnaround between the final ODI and the opening Test. With separate squads for the two portions of the ODI series and the upcoming Test assignments, workload management and player availability will remain important considerations throughout the tour.