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As the Test season ends across the cricketing landscape for now, action in white-ball cricket is just about to notch up a mile. Sure, T20 leagues are popping off everywhere you look, continuing global domination, but something special is brewing on Indian soil. The Black Caps are flying in from the ‘land of the long white cloud’, ready to lock horns with the Men in Blue in what promises to be an absolute cracker of a white-ball series. The action kicks off at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, which is all set to host its first-ever men’s ODI game, before moving to Rajkot, and wrapping things up in Indore. Think of it as the appetiser before the main course, a five-match T20I feast that will serve as the final audition before the big dance at the T20 World Cup, which is barely a month away from now. With the calendar flipped to a new year and the next ODI World Cup still a good eighteen months down the road, both teams will be viewing this series through fresh eyes. It's a clean slate moment. India and New Zealand can actually play around a bit, figure out their best combinations, and start mapping out where they want to be when the next World Cup cycle really heats up. Now, these two haven't faced each other in ODIs since that Champions Trophy final back in March 2025, so there's a bit of anticipation in the air. India last suited up for 50-over cricket against South Africa at home in December, scraping through with a 2-1 series win. New Zealand, meanwhile, had a more comfortable outing, blanking the West Indies 3-0 at home in November. After missing the series against the Proteas due to a neck spasm, Shubman Gill returns to lead a 15-member Indian squad, which features Shreyas Iyer as the deputy. Iyer’s participation was subject to fitness clearance, but he is all set to feature after that Australia series Down Under, with Ruturaj Gaikwad making way for him despite scoring a century in his last dig.
Apart from them, the big daddies of Indian cricket also return to treat the fans. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both now working as full-time ODI compatriots, have been in some fine nick. Rohit has churned out three half-centuries and a hundred in his last six ODI appearances, in fact, in the Champions Trophy finale, he scored a 76 against the Kiwis. Kohli's somehow gone one better, smashing two fifties and two tons in that same stretch.
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Apart from them, the big daddies of Indian cricket also return to treat the fans. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both now working as full-time ODI compatriots, have been in some fine nick. Rohit has churned out three half-centuries and a hundred in his last six ODI appearances, in fact, in the Champions Trophy finale, he scored a 76 against the Kiwis. Kohli's somehow gone one better, smashing two fifties and two tons in that same stretch.
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All posters, please take note of the following guidelines for match threads on PakPassion:
1. No personal insults at other posters, players, officials, coaching staff, etc.
2. No making fun of players', officials', or coaching staff's names.
3. Do not add any references to media, their social media, or post any pictures or screenshots from other sports websites.
4. Stick to commenting on this match. There is no need to bring other countries into the match discussion, as there are plenty of other threads where those discussions can be added.
