Shubman Gill-led India take on Mitchell Santner’s injury-hit New Zealand at Eden Park as both sides begin a five-match ODI series ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
India and New Zealand will begin their five-match ODI series on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at Eden Park in Auckland, with both teams looking to strengthen their combinations ahead of the next Cricket World Cup.
The first ODI is scheduled to start at 7:00 am (local time), marking the beginning of the 50-over leg of India’s long tour of New Zealand following the conclusion of the T20I series.
The series provides an important opportunity for both sides to assess their squad depth, test emerging players and establish combinations with less than a year remaining before the 2027 World Cup.
New Zealand face injury concerns
New Zealand will be led by Mitchell Santner but have suffered several injury setbacks ahead of the opening match.
Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman have been ruled out of the entire ODI series. Chapman requires additional rehabilitation for a left hamstring injury, while Ravindra continues recovering from a right shoulder problem.
Devon Conway has also been ruled out of the first ODI after suffering a head injury in a collision with Matt Henry during training.
Conway’s absence leaves Henry Nicholls and Tim Seifert competing for an opening position alongside Will Young.
The hosts will nevertheless have considerable batting experience through Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips. Mitchell, in particular, remains a major threat after his outstanding performances against India, including four centuries in his last seven ODI innings against them.
India banking on experienced batting line-up
India will be captained by Shubman Gill for the first three matches before Shreyas Iyer takes over for the final two ODIs.
Gill has enjoyed an impressive year in ODI cricket, recording eight scores of 50 or more in 11 innings. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have also crossed 500 ODI runs during the calendar year.
KL Rahul, Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan and Naman Dhir provide further batting options.
India will rely on Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav for spin, while Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh will lead the pace attack alongside younger bowling options.
Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna are unavailable for the series.
Eden Park presents a batting challenge
Eden Park’s unusual rectangular dimensions and short straight boundaries make it a challenging venue for bowlers.
New Zealand demonstrated their batting power during the recent T20I series, scoring 259 in the fourth match and defeating India by 87 runs.
The hosts will also be looking to extend their impressive record of 11 consecutive bilateral ODI series victories at home.
India, meanwhile, will aim to respond after losing their previous ODI series against New Zealand 2-1 in January.
The opening encounter promises an exciting contest as both teams begin their preparations for the 2027 World Cup.