Preparations for a major reshuffle in Team India, Ishan Kishan will return and Rishabh Pant will be on leave!

IND vs NZ ODI: The year 2026 for the Indian cricket team will start with a three-match ODI series against New Zealand. The first match of the series will be played in Vadodara on 11 January. According to reports, big changes can be seen in the team for this series. The management is now considering dropping Rishabh Pant in ODI cricket and giving a chance to Ishan Kishan.

Ishan Kishan’s stormy comeback

Ishan Kishan has been out of the ODI team for the last two years, but recently his performance in domestic cricket has impressed the selectors. Ishan proved his form by scoring a century in just 33 balls against Karnataka in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Ishan is not only an aggressive opener but can also fit in the middle order (number 5 or 6), giving the team a strong left-handed option. He has already been selected for T20 World Cup 2026 and New Zealand T20 series.

Why is Rishabh Pant on leave?

Rishabh Pant played his last ODI against Sri Lanka in August 2024. If reports are to be believed, Pant was also a part of the team during the 2025 Champions Trophy, but he did not get a chance in the playing-11. The team management is now considering KL Rahul as the primary wicketkeeper-batsman, while Ishan Kishan’s claim as a backup is considered stronger than Pant.

Shubman Gill returns to captaincy

Shubman Gill, who was out of the South Africa series due to neck injury, is now completely fit. He will not only return to the team but will also take over the responsibility of captaincy in the ODI format. Along with him, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will also return to the team after their brilliant performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (both have scored centuries). At the same time, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah can be given rest under workload management before the T20 World Cup.

Also read: Team India: Indian team announced for U19 World Cup, Ayush Mhatre gets captaincy

India’s probable team against New Zealand

Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer (depending on fitness)/Tilak Verma, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.