Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has picked his squad for the IND vs NZ ODIs ahead of the official announcement which is expected to be made on January 3. The three-match ODI series, which will commence from January 11, will mark the men in Blue’s first 50-over format series in 2026 and their last before IPL 2026 and the tour to England that will follow. Ahead of the official squad announcement, Chopra has picked his side and has included the likes of Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the line-up.
Chopra’s India squad for IND vs NZ ODIs
Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul, Axar Patel/Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Tilak Varma, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Gill, who missed the previous series against South Africa, has been named in Chopra’s squad. A surprising mention is that of Gaikwad’s, given that he was a part of the IND vs SA series only due to the absence of Shubman. Pant has found a place in the side despite Rahul being named in the squad, ahead of Ishan Kishan or Dhruv Jurel. It is pertinent to point out that while Pant was picked for the IND vs SA ODIs, he never made it to the playing XI.
“At No. 14, I will keep Rishabh Pant, although there was a ruckus as to why Rishabh Pant needs to be kept, that Ishan Kishan or Dhruv Jurel can be kept. You can keep anyone, but also tell what Rishabh Pant’s mistake is,” Chopra said.
Further, Chopra justified Gaikwad’s inclusion in the side, noting that Shreyas Iyer was all but confirmed to miss the series as he has not been cleared yet and hence, the former could continue as no 4 or 5.
“The update on Shreyas Iyer is that he won’t be available for this series. So don’t be surprised if his name is not there, and if his name is not there, Ruturaj continues at No. 4. At No. 5, I have got KL Rahul as a wicketkeeper, as a batter, and maybe as a vice-captain in the side.” Chopra noted.
Siraj, who last featured in an ODI back in October 2025, has found a place in Chopra’s squad for the IND vs NZ ODIs. Meanwhile, veteran Mohammed Shami has been excluded.
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