India’s home cricket season has kicked off with a high-stakes encounter at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara today, January 11, 2026. In the first of three ODIs, Indian captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first against a new-look New Zealand side.
The series is being viewed as a crucial testing ground for both teams as they fine-tune their combinations ahead of the T20 World Cup next month.
Match Context and Key Storylines
The match marks several significant returns and debut moments for the Indian squad:
- Shubman Gill’s Leadership: After missing the series against South Africa due to a neck injury, Gill has resumed his captaincy duties. He noted at the toss that he wants to test different combinations in home conditions while anticipating late-evening dew.
- The “Ro-Ko” Return: Veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are back in the ODI setup after strong performances in domestic cricket. Kohli is currently chasing a major milestone—needing just 25 runs to become the fastest player to reach 28,000 international runs.
- Injury Blow & Replacement: India suffered a setback as Rishabh Pant was ruled out of the entire series due to a side strain. Dhruv Jurel has been drafted into the squad as his replacement, though KL Rahul is handling the wicketkeeping duties today.
- Shreyas Iyer is Back: The middle-order mainstay has returned to the XI for the first time since his injury in Australia, bringing much-needed stability to the number four slot.
Official Playing XIs
| India XI | New Zealand XI |
| Rohit Sharma | Devon Conway |
| Shubman Gill (C) | Henry Nicholls |
| Virat Kohli | Will Young |
| Shreyas Iyer | Daryl Mitchell |
| KL Rahul (WK) | Glenn Phillips |
| Ravindra Jadeja | Mitchell Hay (WK) |
| Washington Sundar | Michael Bracewell (C) |
| Harshit Rana | Zakary Foulkes |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Kristian Clarke (Debut) |
| Mohammed Siraj | Kyle Jamieson |
| Prasidh Krishna | Adithya Ashok (Debut) |
Venue and Pitch Report
The BCA Stadium in Kotambi is making its men’s international debut today, the first international match in Vadodara in 15 years.
- The Surface: Early reports suggest a flat, batting-friendly surface with consistent bounce. However, being a new venue, there is an element of the unknown, prompting the decision to bowl first to see how the pitch behaves.
- Bowling Heavy Strategy: India has opted for a bowling-heavy lineup, featuring three specialist pacers (Siraj, Rana, Krishna) and three spinners (Jadeja, Sundar, Kuldeep) to maintain control in the middle overs.
- New Faces for NZ: New Zealand is fielding a rotated squad with debuts for Kristian Clarke and Indian-origin spinner Adithya Ashok.
Series Schedule
- 1st ODI: January 11, Vadodara
- 2nd ODI: January 14, Rajkot
- 3rd ODI: January 18, Indore
Where to Watch
Fans can catch the live action on the Star Sports Network on TV, while the live stream is available on the JioHotstar (formerly Disney+ Hotstar) app and website.
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