The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named two captains for the 5-match ODI series against New Zealand. Shubman Gill will lead India for the first three ODIs of the New Zealand tour, while Shreyas Iyer will take over the captaincy role for the last two matches.

Iyer missed out on the West Indies ODI series due to his busy commitments with India’s T20I squad in the Asian Games 2026. However, he is back for the highly anticipated 50-over series against New Zealand, serving as Gill’s deputy in the first three games and then as captain in the fourth and fifth ODIs.

The squad officially announced by the BCCI features the uncapped player Kumar Kushagra, who earns his maiden ODI call-up as a back-up wicketkeeper batter.

BCCI Split Squad Strategy For New Zealand ODI Series 2026

Considering the players’ workload management amid the short turnaround between the 5-match ODI series and 2-match Test series, BCCI has opted for a split squad strategy.

In simpler terms, the ODI series is scheduled between November 04 (Wednesday) and November 15 (Sunday). Within less than a 3-day gap, the red-ball series commences on November 19 (Thursday) and takes place till November 27 (Friday).

Here is how BCCI has adopted the rotation structure policy, dividing the ODI series into two different phases:

• ODI 1st to 3rd (Full-Strength Squad): All key players add complete strength to the squad, serving the preparation on pace-friendly pitches ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
  
• ODIs 4th and 5th (Alternative Set of players): Multi-format core players like Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Siraj will be rested. This approach is primarily to focus on the 2-match Test series against New Zealand, which is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle.
  
  At the same time, young talents gain exposure to overseas conditions, particularly playing longer formats such as ODIs against a competitive team like New Zealand.

Why Shreyas Iyer Will Lead India For Last 2 ODIs vs New Zealand?

As part of the split captaincy concept, Shreyas Iyer will lead Team India for the last two ODIs (fourth and fifth matches) of the series against New Zealand. This helps the regular captain Shubman Gill get sufficient break to kickstart his preparation and transition his batting skills for the red-ball series.

Had BCCI assigned the captaincy solely to Gill, his performance and leadership skills would have taken a massive dip in the longest format, given the short gap between the ODI and Test series.

Also, this gives an opportunity for Iyer to expand his leadership role across multiple formats, with Ishan Kishan serving as his deputy for the final two fixtures.

Sharing the leadership not only reduces the workload from Gill, but also allows the team to balance responsibilities across different formats.

Kumar Kushagra’s Maiden ODI Call-Up

At the age of 21, Kumar Kushagra earned his maiden ODI call-up for the forthcoming New Zealand tour based on his impressive performance in domestic cricket and India A matches.

The Jharkhand-born wicketkeeper-batter amassed 1,387 runs in 40 List A games, including 2 centuries and 10 fifties to his name. Here are the most notable performances in his career:

• 81 runs off 38 balls (including 8 fours and 5 sixes) vs Haryana in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 final
  
• 113 runs off 240 balls (including 12 fours) vs Australia A in the first unofficial test 2026
  
• 101 runs off 132 balls (including 8 fours and 5 sixes) vs South Zone in Duleep Trophy 2026 final.

Kushagra bagged this valuable opportunity after he was named as Rishabh Pant’s replacement in the India A squad for the unofficial 3-match test series against New Zealand A scheduled from October 24 to November 07.

As KL Rahul wouldn’t be available for the last two ODIs, Kumar serves as the back-up wicketkeeper for Ishan Kishan.

Rohit and Kohli to Play All Five ODIs vs New Zealand

As Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remain active only in the 50-over format, the BCCI selection committee decided to include the veteran batting stalwarts for all five ODIs. This is indeed good news for Ro-Ko fans, as their experience would prove valuable to lead the squad in the absence of Shubman Gill and other key players during the last two ODIs.

India’s Squad for the first 3 ODIs vs New Zealand 2026

India’s Squad For 4th and 5th ODI vs New Zealand 2026

Notable Replacements in India’s Squad for the 4th and 5th ODI 2026

Final Opinion

Despite speculations, neither of the veteran pacers, namely Mohammed Siraj nor Bhuvneshwar Kumar, was able to make a comeback in India’s squad. The selectors have prioritized fresh and young talents like Kumar Kushagra, Auqib Nabi, Yash Thakur and Tilak Varma for the final two ODI matches of the series.

With Shreyas Iyer’s appointment as the captain for the fourth and fifth ODI, it becomes evident that the selectors are keen to have back-up options for the leadership role rather than relying solely on Shubman Gill in the 50-over format.