New Zealand vs India ODI Series 2026 Preview: Auckland and Wellington Picks
Preview of the first two New Zealand vs India ODIs in Auckland and Wellington: squads, form, conditions and our match and top-player picks.
India's long tour of New Zealand moves into its 50-over phase this week. After a five-match T20I series that India took 3-2, the two sides open a five-game ODI series at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday, Nov. 4, with Game 2 in Wellington on Saturday, Nov. 7. Both games start at 7:30 a.m. IST, which is 2:00 a.m. UTC and 9:00 p.m. Eastern the night before for U.S. viewers.
The ODIs carry real weight on both sides. Each country is building toward the 2027 Cricket World Cup, and both selection panels are using this series to test depth. New Zealand will rotate heavily after Game 3, and India have named a separate group with a new captain for Games 4 and 5.
Where the tour stands
India won the first three T20Is to lock up that series early, but New Zealand finished strong. The Black Caps won Game 4 at Eden Park by 87 runs, then chased down 192 with two overs to spare in Hamilton on Sunday. Tim Seifert smashed 93 off 50 balls in that finale, Adam Milne took 4 for 19, and Glenn Phillips finished 65 not out.
Phillips was named Player of the Series after piling up 341 runs, a new mark for a bilateral T20I series. He carries that form straight into the ODI squad. India's best batting in the last game came from Ishan Kishan (61 off 32) and stand-in T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, who reached a 23-ball fifty.
The head-to-head backdrop matters too. New Zealand won the last ODI series between these teams 2-1 in India in January 2026. That was their first ODI series win on Indian soil, and Daryl Mitchell led all batters with 352 runs. Virat Kohli was India's top scorer with 240.
Squads and team news
India (Games 1-3): Shubman Gill captains, with Iyer as vice-captain. The batting core is loaded: Gill, Rohit Sharma, Kohli, Iyer and KL Rahul, with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Kishan as extra options. The bowling group includes Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar and Anshul Kamboj. Auqib Nabi was added late.
- Seamer Prasidh Krishna has been ruled out of the ODI series with a hamstring problem.
- All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is listed only for Game 1 before he moves to India A duty.
- For Games 4 and 5, Iyer takes over as captain, while Gill, Rahul and Kamboj drop out of the group and Tilak Varma, Yash Thakur and Kumar Kushagra come in.
New Zealand (Games 1-3): Mitchell Santner leads a squad that features Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Phillips, Mark Chapman and Michael Bracewell. The seam attack is Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith and Blair Tickner.
- Ravindra is back after missing the T20Is with a shoulder injury.
- Zak Foulkes, Will O'Rourke and Ben Sears are still recovering and were not considered.
- Seifert, Finn Allen and Lockie Ferguson join only for Games 4 and 5, when several Test players head to Wellington.
Conditions
Eden Park is one of the more unusual grounds in world cricket. Its straight boundaries are short, so lofted hits down the ground get rewarded and spinners can be targeted. Totals usually run high when the pitch is flat. Wellington tends to be windier, and that brings swing and awkward angles into play for the quicks, especially early.
New Zealand's seamers know these surfaces well. Henry and Jamieson get steep bounce, and that has troubled visiting top orders on past tours. India's answer is depth. With Rohit, Kohli and Gill at the top, they can absorb an early wicket or two and still post a big score.
Key storylines
- Kohli and Rohit in New Zealand. Both veterans are in the ODI squad for all five games. Kohli was India's leading run scorer in the January series and remains their safest bet to bat deep.
- Phillips' hot hand. He just set a series record in the T20Is. In ODIs he usually bats in the middle order, so his volume depends on how the top order fares, but his strike rate makes him dangerous on a short Eden Park boundary.
- Mitchell's matchup with India. He torched India's attack in January. He handles spin well, which matters against Kuldeep and Axar.
- India's seam depth. With Prasidh out, more of the load falls on Siraj and Arshdeep. Neither side has confirmed a starting XI yet.
Other cricket this week
Elsewhere, Bangladesh host West Indies in the second Test in Sylhet from Nov. 5-9, and Afghanistan open a two-Test series with Zimbabwe on Nov. 5. Pakistan and Sri Lanka begin a Test series in Rawalpindi on Nov. 9. For daily prop angles across the slate, check today's board.
Our picks
- 1st ODI (Nov. 4, Auckland): New Zealand to win. This is a slight lean, not a strong play. New Zealand finished the T20Is with two big wins, they beat India in the last ODI series, and they get home conditions. India's batting is deeper, but losing Prasidh thins the seam attack on a ground where it's easy to leak runs. If India are priced as clear favorites, New Zealand is the value side.
- Top New Zealand batter, Game 1: Daryl Mitchell. His record against this attack and his ability to bat through the middle overs make him a better per-game bet than the openers. Phillips is a fine second option.
- Top India batter, Game 1: Virat Kohli. He was their leading scorer in the last ODI series, and he usually bats long. Gill is the alternative if you want a bigger price.
- Top New Zealand bowler: Matt Henry. He takes the new ball and usually comes back at the death, so he gets two windows to pick up wickets.
- Top India bowler: Kuldeep Yadav. Wrist spin is India's best route to middle-overs wickets. The short straight boundaries cut both ways: batters will attack him, and that gives him chances.
- 2nd ODI (Nov. 7, Wellington): New Zealand to win. This is a lean that depends on Game 1. Wind and movement in Wellington tend to favor the home seamers. Re-check team news before lock.
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Sources: BCCI - India's ODI and Test squads for New Zealand tour · BCCI - India and India A squad updates · Yahoo Sports - New Zealand squad for India series 2026 · Yahoo Sports - India tour of New Zealand schedule · CricketNews - NZ vs IND 5th T20I result · Wikipedia - New Zealand cricket team in India in 2025-26
Predictions are ChalkEdge's opinion from the data available when this was written, not a guarantee. Lines and lineups change: check the current line before you play.