Shubman Gill will captain India in the first three ODIs of the November 2026 New Zealand tour, with Shreyas Iyer leading the fourth and fifth. BCCI’s October 16 announcement names separate squads for those two parts of the series, followed by a Test squad captained by Gill. The split means a single list does not describe all five ODIs.

The distinction matters for supporters following a particular player across the tour. The two ODI lists each contain 16 players, but their membership is not identical. Comparing the lists shows four places change for the final two matches; the other 12 names remain. This is a comparison of the announced squads, not a forecast of which 11 players will take the field.

ODI fixtures and captains

November 2026VenueCaptain
4AucklandShubman Gill
7WellingtonShubman Gill
10HamiltonShubman Gill
13Mount MaunganuiShreyas Iyer
15Mount MaunganuiShreyas Iyer

All ODIs start at 7:30 a.m. IST. Tests start November 19 in Wellington and 27 in Christchurch at 3:30 a.m. IST. Schedules are subject to official changes.

First three ODIs, captain Gill: Gill, KL Rahul, Anshul Kamboj and Prasidh Krishna are unique. Final two, captain Iyer: Tilak Varma, Auqib Nabi, Kumar Kushagra and Yash Thakur are unique.
Comparison of the two BCCI ODI squad lists. These are the four names unique to each group, not one-for-one playing-XI substitutions.

Four changes between the ODI groups

Gill, KL Rahul, Anshul Kamboj and Prasidh Krishna are in the first-three-ODI group and absent from the final-two group. Tilak Varma, Auqib Nabi, Kumar Kushagra and Yash Thakur move the other way. The comparison graphic puts those four changes alongside the captaincy handover so the dates and personnel can be read together.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli appear in both ODI groups. Iyer moves from vice-captain to captain, while Ishan Kishan is designated wicketkeeper and vice-captain for the final two games. The advisory does not explain the selection committee’s reasons for every change. The lists establish who was selected for each part, without establishing a motive for each omission.

The Test squad has its own conditions

For the Tests, Gill is captain and KL Rahul vice-captain. Rishabh Pant’s wicketkeeper entry is marked subject to fitness clearance. Prasidh Krishna has a fitness mark in the first-three-ODI list; the Test list prints his name without that mark. The qualifications should therefore be read with the particular list where BCCI placed them.

A squad place and fitness clearance answer different questions. Selection identifies the players announced for a segment of the tour; a fitness condition means that named place remains conditional. Neither determines the match-day XI. Readers tracking Pant or Prasidh should use any later BCCI clearance or replacement notice together with this announcement, rather than treating inclusion alone as a guarantee of playing.

Match dates and what the announcement settles

The five ODIs are scheduled for November 4, 7, 10, 13 and 15, all at 7:30 a.m. IST. The Tests start on November 19 and 27 at 3:30 a.m. IST. The accompanying table pairs the ODI captain with each fixture. BCCI’s linked advisory carries the full squads and venues; it does not establish a streaming service or a free viewing entitlement.

The practical answer is to match the player and captain to the relevant part of the tour: Gill leads the first three ODIs, Iyer the final two, and Gill the Tests. The four ODI list changes are confirmed selection differences; fitness clearance and the playing XI are subsequent decisions. That boundary makes the announcement useful without promising participation that it has not yet confirmed.

Sources & context

BCCI’s October 16 advisory provides the squads, fitness qualifications and IST fixtures. The four-player difference is an editorial comparison of the two lists.

AI assisted with drafting and editing. This article is part of our preview edition. Editorial standards & corrections →