India’s preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup enter a crucial phase as they begin a five-match series against New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland, on Wednesday, November 4.
With the tournament just over 11 months away, the series could offer conditions similar to those expected in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia during early summer.
Both teams will miss several key players. India will be without Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, while New Zealand have ruled out Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman. Devon Conway will miss the opening ODI after suffering a concussion.
India captain Shubman Gill previously stressed that there was ‘not much time to experiment’ before the World Cup. He said the team wanted to settle its combination, particularly in the bowling department and middle order.
Gill confirmed that India’s top four were settled but remained open to experimenting at No 5 and No 6. Axar Patel could feature as a floater, while KL Rahul might move to No 5.
The series will also provide Rohit Sharma an opportunity to strengthen his record in New Zealand, where he has yet to score an ODI century.
Date: November 4, 2026
Time: 7:30 AM
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Live TV: Sony Sports Network
Live streaming: Sony LIV app and website
New Zealand: Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Tom Latham (w), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith, Matthew Fisher, Blair Tickner, Tim Seifert, Kyle Jamieson.
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan.
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