India's five-match ODI series against New Zealand gets underway on 4 November 2026 at Eden Park, Auckland, with ODI World Cup 2027 preparations firmly in focus for both sides. India's World Cup opener is now just over 11 months away, making every match in this series a potential dress rehearsal for conditions they will likely encounter in early summer across South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

Key Absentees on Both Sides

Neither camp enters the series at full strength. India are without pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and allrounder Hardik Pandya, two of their most critical limited-overs assets. New Zealand, meanwhile, must manage without opening batter Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman, both ruled out with injuries. Devon Conway will additionally miss the first ODI after suffering a concussion during a training collision with Matt Henry.

Both teams have named separate squads for the first three ODIs and the final two matches, allowing Test-focused players the time to prepare for the subsequent Test series — a logistical compromise that slightly dilutes the competitive intensity of the latter matches.

Gill's Balancing Act: Settled Top Four, Fluid Middle Order

India's ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill, speaking ahead of the first ODI, acknowledged that while the top four batting positions are set, positions No. 5 and No. 6 remain open for experimentation. He floated the possibility of using Axar Patel as a flexible floater or shifting KL Rahul to No. 5. Gill had also noted after the recent West Indies ODI series that there was 'not much time to experiment' and that he wanted the World Cup combination settled — a tension that this New Zealand tour must now resolve.

With Bumrah and Hardik both unavailable, India's bowling and lower-order balance look uncertain. Only Bumrah, in Gill's own assessment, is currently operating at the required level among India's pace options for a global tournament.

Rohit Sharma's Unfinished Business in New Zealand

The series carries additional personal significance for Rohit Sharma, who is yet to register an ODI century in New Zealand. After a period of variable form, the former India captain will be looking to add to his record and cement his place in the World Cup XI with a commanding series performance.

Pitch and Broadcast Details

The opening ODI will be played on a pitch separate from the one used for the fourth T20I between these two sides — a surface on which New Zealand posted a massive 259 in 20 overs. The fresh ODI pitch is expected to offer a more balanced contest between bat and ball. The match begins at 7:30 AM IST on 4 November 2026 and will be broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network. Live streaming is available on the Sony LIV app and website.

Full Squads

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan.

New Zealand: Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith, Matthew Fisher, Blair Tickner, Tim Seifert, Kyle Jamieson.

With the World Cup clock ticking, every result and every individual performance across this five-match series will carry weight well beyond the bilateral context.