Published: Jan 10, 2026, 04:41 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 13, 2026, 02:39 PM (IST)
Cricket fans are in for a treat as India host New Zealand in the first ODI of the three-match series at Kotambi International Stadium, Vadodara, on Sunday. The stadium will see its first-ever men’s ODI, bringing international cricket back to Vadodara after more than a decade. All eyes will be on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who return to lead India’s batting lineup.
The last men’s international at Kotambi was also between India and New Zealand on December 4, 2010, when Gautam Gambhir starred for India with a brilliant century. Over a decade later, the stadium will once again host the Men in Blue.
Kohli and Rohit, who recently quit T20 and Test cricket, are back after India’s series against South Africa. While New Zealand have picked a relatively inexperienced squad, they are ready to give India a tough fight.
This series could also be the last ODI for Kohli and Rohit in India colours until July, as it is India’s final ODI assignment before the T20 World Cup and IPL 2026.
Shubman Gill returns as India’s ODI captain. The 25-year-old missed the previous ODI series against South Africa and lost his first ODI captaincy series against Australia in October. He will aim for his first series win leading the team.
India: Virat Kohli has been in brilliant form, averaging 151 against South Africa recently. Rohit Sharma remains the No. 1 ODI batter, averaging 52.9 against New Zealand since 2023. Vice-captain Shreyas Iyer returns after a spleen injury.
New Zealand: The BlackCaps will rely on Devon Conway, who has scored 527 ODI runs in India since 2023, and Daryl Mitchell, who is in excellent white-ball form. Their pace attack is inexperienced, with Kyle Jamieson being their most experienced bowler.
On the eve of the match, Kohli and Rohit spent 1.5 hours practicing against Indian pacers, spinners, and throwdowns, after appearances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. India’s strong batting lineup will test New Zealand’s young pace attack.
New Zealand have won nine straight ODIs since losing the 2025 Champions Trophy final to India. However, India have a strong record, having won their last seven ODIs against the BlackCaps.
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (w), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja
New Zealand: Devon Conway (w), Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell (c), Zakary Foulkes, Nick Kelly, Josh Clarkson, Michael Rae, Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell Hay, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Jayden Lennox
The India take will lock horns against New Zealand in 1st ODI on Sunday, January 11. The match will start at 1:30 PM IST at the BCA Stadium, Kotambi in Vadodara, with the toss scheduled for 1:00 PM IST.
The game will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network and streamed online on the JioHotstar platform.
