IND vs NZ, 1st ODI: India’s Predicted playing XI – Rishabh Pant OUT, surprising changes likely

By Correspondent On Jan 11, 2026

As the Indian team is gearing up for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand which will be starting on January 11 (today) and will take place today (January 11) at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. It won’t just be a memorable moment for the arena, but also for players and fans as well. Shubman Gill will captain India and Michael Bracewell will lead New Zealand. The duel will begin at 1:30 PM IST.

Rishabh Pant ruled out, Dhruv Jurel comes as his replacement

Young wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has been selected in the Indian squad for the ODI series as a cover for the injured wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant. Rishabh Pant got injured during the net sessions on Saturday (January 10, 2026), and he felt discomfort in right lateral abdominal area.

Yashasvi Jaiswal likely to miss out as team combination takes shape

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is not expected to feature in the playing XI this game. Shubman Gill’s recall has already filled that opening slot. Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Kumar Reddy, too, may have to bide their time a little more. For Nitish to come into the playing xi the team will have to field just two specialist fast bowlers.

Probable Playing XI

India – Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj.

New Zealand – Devon Conway (wicketkeeper), Nick Kelly, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell (captain), Zachary Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Michael Rae, Aditya Ashok.