Shubman Gill Faces Tough Test as India Eye ODI Series Against Kiwis

India begin their ODI series against New Zealand on November 4, following a successful T20 campaign in which they edged the series 3-2. Attention now turns to the 50-over format, where the rivalry has been closely fought.

Across 123 ODI meetings, India have claimed 63 wins to New Zealand's 52. There has been one tie and seven matches have ended without a result, underlining the balance between the two sides.

The last ODI series between them was played last year, and New Zealand emerged victorious by a 2-1 margin. India will be eager to reverse that outcome in the upcoming fixtures.

India's ODI record in New Zealand remains a concern. From 45 matches played there, they have won 14 and lost 26. Their most recent ODI series on Kiwi soil in 2022 ended in a 1-0 defeat, making the challenge ahead significant.

Shubman Gill will captain India in the first three ODIs, and Shreyas Iyer will lead in the final two. The batting lineup is bolstered by the experience of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

KL Rahul, Naman Dhir, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer are expected to hold the middle order together. With Jasprit Bumrah unavailable, India's fast bowling will depend heavily on Mohammed Siraj, who will be supported by Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar and Anshul Kamboj.