New Zealand vs India, 1st ODI, India tour of New Zealand 2026-27

A new series, two new captains and, for Indian viewers, a 7:30 AM start. Shubman Gill takes charge of India’s ODI side for the first three matches, with Shreyas Iyer as his deputy, before the captaincy passes to Iyer for the last two — Gill leaves the white-ball group to prepare for the Tests.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are both in the squad, which makes this the headline fixture of the tour for a large part of the audience. Prasidh Krishna is picked subject to fitness.

New Zealand’s split is deliberate policy rather than scheduling. With a World Cup under a year away, Mitchell Santner leads a first-choice group here that includes Mark Chapman, back from a torn hamstring, and Rachin Ravindra, who missed the T20Is with a shoulder problem.