India squad for New Zealand: why Shreyas Iyer leads the last two ODIs
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Shubman Gill captains the first three ODIs and the Tests. The first Test starts four days after the final ODI, so Iyer takes over for games four and five, with Ishan Kishan as his deputy.
Original report
India named its squads for the New Zealand ODIs and Tests on 16 October 2026: Shubman Gill captains the first three ODIs and the Tests, and Shreyas Iyer captains ODIs 4 and 5, with Ishan Kishan as vice-captain (Zee News, 2026; CricketNMore, 2026). Why Shreyas Iyer is captain for the last two ODIs in New Zealand comes down to the calendar.
The first Test starts four days after the final ODI on 15 November, with no practice matches between formats, so Gill is spared the last two games, CricketNMore and Khel Now reported (CricketNMore, 2026; Khel Now, 2026).
Four days separate the last ODI from the first Test
The five ODIs are on 4, 7, 10, 13 and 15 November, starting at 7:30 am IST, the first at Eden Park, Auckland, CricketNMore reported. Khel Now gives the Tests as Wellington on 19–23 November and Christchurch on 27 November to 1 December, after five T20Is from 22 October.
Iyer's two games, on 13 and 15 November, are the last before the switch to red-ball cricket. That split reshapes the ODI squad too.
Who plays which ODIs
CricketNMore lists a 16-member ODI squad; we found this breakdown in that one report only:
- All five ODIs: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
- ODIs 1–3 only: KL Rahul, Prasidh Krishna and Anshul Kamboj
- Joining for ODIs 4–5: Tilak Varma and Auqib Nabi
- Captain for ODIs 4–5: Shreyas Iyer, with Ishan Kishan as vice-captain
- Maiden call-ups: Kumar Kushagra and Yash Thakur
The Test squad brings back a bigger name.
Bumrah returns for the Tests
Jasprit Bumrah is back in the Test squad, and Anshul Kamboj and Akash Deep are named, Zee News reported. Gill captains the Tests. The full Test and T20I squads were not in the pages we could open.
How the coverage split
Zee News led on Bumrah's return and the split ODI captaincy. CricketNMore led on Gill for the first three games and Iyer for the last two. See how every outlet covered it.
What happens next
- 22 October: first T20I
- 4 November: first ODI, Eden Park, Auckland
- 19 November: first Test, Wellington
Questions people are asking
Who captains India in the New Zealand ODIs?
Shubman Gill for the first three and Shreyas Iyer for the last two.
Why is Shreyas Iyer captain for the last two ODIs?
The first Test starts four days after the final ODI, with no practice matches between, so Gill is spared those games.
When do the India vs New Zealand ODIs start?
On 4 November at Eden Park, Auckland, at 7:30 am IST.
References
- Zee News (2026) India squad For New Zealand tour: Jasprit Bumrah returns as Anshul Kamboj, Akash Deep named in Test squad. Zee News. Available at: India squad for New Zealand tour (Accessed: 16 October 2026).
- CricketNMore (2026) Gill To Captain India In First Three ODIs Against NZ, Iyer To Lead In Last Two Games. CricketNMore. Available at: Gill to captain India in first three ODIs against NZ (Accessed: 16 October 2026).
- Khel Now (2026) India players rested for NZ ODIs ahead of Test series. Khel Now. Available at: India players rested for NZ ODIs (Accessed: 16 October 2026).
How we did this
We built the who-plays-which-ODI list and the series timeline from the squad reports of Zee News and CricketNMore, with Test dates from Khel Now, all read on 16 October 2026. The hero image is a timeline chart built by United One News from those dates.
This story was produced, reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication, with AI assistance where required.
Covered by 11 outlets across the spectrum: 18% left, 36% center, 45% right.
Who is covering this story
- Left-leaning (2): NDTV, The New Indian Express
- Center (4): ABP Live English, Khel Now, CricketNMore, Deccan Herald
- Right-leaning (4): India TV English, Times Now, Sunday Guardian, Zee News English
Sources
- India announce Test and two separate ODI squads for New Zealand series, Ravindra Jadeja dropped — India TV English (right-leaning) ·
- India Squad For New Zealand ODIs, Tests Announced; Shreyas Iyer To Captain In Two ODI Matches — ABP Live English (center) ·
- Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer To Share Captaincy In ODI Series vs NZ, Jasprit Bumrah To Play Only Tests — Times Now (right-leaning) ·
- India’s ODI Squad For New Zealand Tour Announced: Shubman Gill Continues as Captain, Shreyas Iyer Becomes Vice-Captain; Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli Included | Check Full 15-Member List — Sunday Guardian (right-leaning) ·
- India Squad For New Zealand ODIs, Tests Out. Shreyas Iyer To Captain In Two One-Day Matches — NDTV (left-leaning) ·
- India squad for new zealand tour jasprit bumrah returns as anshul kamboj akash deep named in test squad — Zee News English (right-leaning) ·
- List of India players who could be rested for New Zealand ODIs to prepare for Tests — Khel Now (center) ·
- Gill To Captain India In First Three ODIs Against NZ, Iyer To Lead In Last Two Games — CricketNMore (center) ·
- India name separate ODI squads for New Zealand series; Akash Deep returns for Tests — Deccan Herald (center) ·
- India's Strongest XI For new Zealand ODI Series - No Kishan In First 3 Games, Ruturaj To Play Last 2 Matches — Times Now (right-leaning) ·
- India vs New Zealand: All eyes on what top-order batters can provide in tough Test series — The New Indian Express (left-leaning) ·