Shubman Gill Leads India in ODI Series Against New Zealand

In the first ODI of a five-match series, Indian captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to chase against New Zealand in Auckland. With the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India seeks to improve its ODI record in New Zealand, where they last won in 2019. The match promises to be a thrilling start as both teams prepare for the upcoming 2027 ODI World Cup. Discover the playing XI and insights from both captains as they gear up for this exciting encounter.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 4, 2026, 08:23 IST

India vs New Zealand: ODI Series Kicks Off

Auckland [New Zealand], November 4: Indian captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to chase against New Zealand in the opening match of their five-match ODI series at Eden Park on Wednesday.

As the teams gear up for the 2027 ODI World Cup, India is set to face New Zealand, marking the return of cricket stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the 50-over format.

India aims to improve its underwhelming ODI performance in New Zealand, where their last win dates back to February 2019. Since then, they have participated in two ODI series in New Zealand, suffering defeats of 3-0 and 1-0, with two matches abandoned during the latter series.

Since clinching the Champions Trophy in early 2025, India has struggled with consistency in ODIs, winning three and losing three of their last six series, facing setbacks against Australia, New Zealand, and England.

In their previous ODI series encounter, New Zealand emerged victorious with a 2-1 win.

Gill stated during the toss, “We are going to bowl first. It’s a bit overcast, so having a target on the board is beneficial. Everyone is excited and ready for the series. The conditions here will be similar to what we will face in South Africa. Our pace attack includes Anshul, Aaqib, Gurnoor, and Arshdeep.”

New Zealand's captain Mitchell Santner mentioned, “Conway is doing well but will rest today, allowing Seifert to take his place. Like India, we also have four pacers.”

Teams:

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner.

India (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Aaqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh.