India Split New Zealand ODI Captaincy Between Gill and Iyer as Pant Faces Fitness Deadline

Gill to Lead Three ODIs Before Turning to Tests

India have named separate squads for the opening three and final two matches of their five ODI series in New Zealand, with Shubman Gill handing the captaincy to Shreyas Iyer before the Tests. The ODI series begins on November 4, 2026, in Auckland, while the first Test starts on November 19 in Wellington.

Gill and wicketkeeper KL Rahul will leave the ODI group after the third match, scheduled for November 10 in Hamilton, to prepare for Test cricket. Iyer, the vice captain for the first three ODIs, will lead the remaining games on November 13 and 15 in Mount Maunganui. Ishan Kishan becomes his deputy.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are included throughout the ODI series. Jasprit Bumrah will play only the Tests, while Ravindra Jadeja has been left out of the ODI squads but retained for the longer format. Gill will captain the Test side, with Rahul as vice captain.

The selections create opportunities for wicketkeeper Kumar Kushagra and returning batter Tilak Varma, but have also drawn criticism over Yashasvi Jaiswal's omission from the ODIs. Rishabh Pant's Test place depends on fitness clearance after an injury during the Irani Cup.

Why India Are Changing Squads During the Series

India's schedule leaves four calendar days between the final ODI on November 15 and the opening Test on November 19. By withdrawing Gill and Rahul after November 10, the selectors give them nine days between their last scheduled ODI and the Test opener.

Preparing for Tests means adjusting from matches in which each team bats for a maximum of 50 overs to contests that can last five days. Batters must prepare to stay at the crease for much longer, while bowlers build up to repeated spells across several days. The switch also involves moving from a white ball to a red ball.

The captaincy change is therefore planned around preparation rather than the result of the opening matches. Iyer will take charge for the last two ODIs regardless of where the series stands after Hamilton.

The two ODI squads each contain 16 players, with 12 names appearing in both. Gill, Rahul, Anshul Kamboj and Prasidh Krishna leave after the first three games; Varma, Kushagra, Auqib Nabi and Yash Thakur enter for the last two. India are changing four places, a quarter of the squad, while keeping most of the group together.

Ashwin Challenges Jaiswal's Omission

Jaiswal is in the Test squad but has no place in either ODI group. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin criticised that decision, arguing that Gill's departure should have opened an opportunity for the younger batter in the final two matches.

Ashwin, speaking on his YouTube channel, said the lack of opportunities risked damaging Jaiswal's confidence:

If Shubman Gill is not playing the last two ODIs, then Yashasvi Jaiswal should definitely get that spot. It is very unfortunate because all of this can ruin his confidence. Now, with the way he was scoring runs...

Ashwin said Jaiswal had gone around four months without international cricket. He accepted the need to prepare for Tests, but argued that the selectors and team management should find chances for a player who had previously scored consistently.

Ashwin also suggested speaking directly with Jaiswal about whether he could play the final two ODIs. His argument centres on match practice: preparing away from competition and facing an international bowling attack give a batter different kinds of work.

The omission also affects India's options before the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. Rohit and Kohli remain in the squad, while Jaiswal has limited ODI experience. The immediate selection choice is how to balance established players, Test preparation and chances for reserve batters.

Pant's Return Depends on Medical Clearance

Pant suffered a problem on his left side while captaining Rest of India in the Irani Cup in Srinagar. He scored 10 and eight, with discomfort reportedly beginning during a sweep shot in the first innings. He also experienced fever and flu symptoms and did not take the field on the final day.

His injury has been described as a side strain and as an injury around the left ribs. It ruled him out of India A's first two unofficial Tests against New Zealand A, with Kushagra named as his replacement.

Pant is recovering under BCCI medical supervision. His recovery has been estimated at around five weeks, or approximately 35 days, before possible Return to Play clearance from the BCCI Centre of Excellence. That clearance is the medical approval required before he resumes competitive cricket; no confirmed return date has been announced.

Pant's recent injury history includes a foot problem in October 2025 and an oblique muscle tear in January. The oblique muscles run along the sides of the abdomen and are used when a batter twists through a shot.

Dhruv Jurel is the other wicketkeeper in the Test squad, giving India an alternative if Pant is unavailable for Wellington. Pant has also been mentioned as a possible participant in India A's match at Lincoln from November 7 to 10.

Gill, Rahul and Kamboj have also been mentioned for that Lincoln fixture, but its dates overlap the second and third ODIs on November 7 and 10. Their stated plan is to leave the ODI squad after the third match; their participation at Lincoln would require clarification.

Bumrah Reserved for Tests as Akash Deep Returns

Bumrah's absence from the ODIs is part of India's management of his bowling workload. He missed the August Test series against Sri Lanka with a knee injury before returning through T20 cricket and participating in India's Asian Games gold medal campaign in Japan.

His preparation at the Centre of Excellence is intended to build him up for the longer spells required in Tests. India also have five home Tests against Australia scheduled for early next year, making his fitness relevant beyond the New Zealand trip.

Akash Deep returns after recovering from a stress fracture in his lower back. A stress fracture is a small crack in a bone caused by repeated loading. He last played Tests on the 2025 England tour.

Kamboj, who made his Test debut in Manchester on that tour, is also back in the squad. Both he and Akash Deep are part of the India A group for three matches lasting several days against New Zealand A, giving them a route to prepare in local conditions.

Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna complete the specialist pace group alongside Bumrah, Akash Deep and Kamboj. Nitish Kumar Reddy provides another seam bowling option. Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav form the spin group.

Krishna's Fitness and Shami's Absence

Krishna has been recovering from a strain in his left hamstring, the muscle group at the back of the thigh. Scans reportedly showed no muscle tear, and he has been working on recovery, strength, conditioning and mobility.

His name is marked as subject to fitness clearance in the squad for the first three ODIs. His Test availability has also been described as conditional, although the reproduced Test squad lists mark Pant alone with that qualification. His medical clearance therefore remains a point to confirm before he plays.

Mohammed Shami has not been selected for the Tests despite taking five wickets for Bengal against Delhi in the 2026–27 Ranji Trophy. The selectors have not publicly explained his omission.

India have instead chosen a pace attack combining Bumrah and Siraj with bowlers returning from injury or seeking to establish themselves in Tests. Shami's domestic performance gives the debate a concrete reference point, but the decision remains unexplained by the selection committee.

New Chances for Kushagra and Varma

Kushagra, the wicketkeeper from Jharkhand aged 21, receives his first selection for the senior India side in the final two ODIs. His inclusion follows his call into the India A squad as Pant's replacement.

Kishan is the other wicketkeeper in the final ODI group and will also serve as vice captain. Kushagra's selection puts him in contention for a debut, with the playing XI still to be chosen.

Varma returns to the ODI squad for the first time since December 2025. He joins the final two matches alongside Nabi and Thakur as India replace the players moving out of the group.

Jadeja's omission is limited to the ODI selections. He remains part of the Test squad, where India have selected three specialist spin options. Sai Sudharsan also returns to the Test group alongside fellow batters Gill, Jaiswal, Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal.

Gurnoor Brar appears in both ODI squads but has not been selected for the Tests. The squads therefore give several bowlers opportunities in one format while setting a different order of preference for the longer matches.

The Tour Schedule, From October to November

India's tour includes five T20 internationals, five ODIs and two Tests. It begins on October 22, with the second Test scheduled to start on November 27. The main dates are:

• October 22 and 24: First and second T20 internationals in Christchurch.
• October 27: Third T20 international in Wellington.
• October 30: Fourth T20 international in Auckland.
• November 1: Fifth T20 international in Hamilton.
• November 4: First ODI in Auckland.
• November 7: Second ODI in Wellington.
• November 10: Third ODI in Hamilton, after which Gill and Rahul leave the ODI group.
• November 13 and 15: Fourth and fifth ODIs in Mount Maunganui, with Iyer as captain.
• November 19: First Test begins in Wellington.
• November 27: Second Test begins in Christchurch.

The schedule makes November 10 the key transition for India's leadership group. Iyer and Kishan then take responsibility for finishing the ODI series, while Gill and Rahul turn their attention to the two Tests.

India's ODI and Test Squads

First three ODIs: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice captain), 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 clearance) and Kuldeep Yadav.

Final two ODIs: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper and vice captain), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav.

Tests: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper, subject to fitness clearance), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj.

Key Points

• Gill leads the first three ODIs; Iyer takes over for the last two.
• Gill and Rahul leave the ODI group after November 10 to prepare for Tests.
• Rohit and Kohli remain in both ODI squads, while Bumrah is selected only for Tests.
• Pant requires fitness clearance, with Jurel the other Test wicketkeeper.
• Ashwin criticised Jaiswal's omission from the ODIs.
• Kushagra receives his first senior India selection, and Varma returns for the final two ODIs.
• The first Test begins on November 19 in Wellington, followed by Christchurch on November 27.