India may have won the toss in Vadodara, but the real storm broke at the team announcement. Arshdeep Singh's exclusion from the first ODI against New Zealand ignited a wave of fan fury, turning the spotlight firmly on India's puzzling pace-bowling choices.
With Rashid and Ahmed currently unavailable, Liam Dawson is the squad's only specialist spinner, meaning Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell may be required to bowl more than initially planned.
Earlier, the two-match unofficial Test series between the sides had ended 1-0 in India A's favour after the hosts won the second match.
Ten Doeschate admitted that, in hindsight, India would have preferred playing a third spinner instead of Reddy, given how effectively New Zealand's spinners exploited the conditions.
India's ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill endured a forgettable return to domestic cricket, falling cheaply in his first outing of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 on Tuesday.
Smriti Mandhana becomes 7th-highest run-getter in women's ODIs
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla said that head coach Gautam Gambhir has a firm grip on the team and is popular among the players.
Iyer, who returned to international action after a long injury layoff following a spleen laceration with internal bleeding sustained during the third ODI against Australia in Sydney in October last year, said he was delighted to begin the series on a winning note.
Rohit Sharma to be conferred Honorary Doctorate by Ajeenkya DY Patil University
Captain Shubman Gill acknowledged losing early wickets was one of the big reasons for India's loss in the rain-hit first ODI against Australia.
'I am where I have to be and whatever is written in my destiny no one can take that from me.'
Vijay Hazare Trophy: Shubman Gill misses Sikkim clash due to food poisoning
Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott called the heartbreaking two-Super Over loss to South Africa "devastating", admitting his side were undone by the Proteas' superior fielding in a T20 World Cup thriller that slipped away at the very end
Rohit Sharma hit a century and Virat Kohli a bright 74 to drive India to a nine-wicket win in the third one-day international on Saturday
Pacer Kim Garth and spinner Alana King are up one spot each to be fourth and fifth in the ODI bowling ranking, their highest ever.
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen believes India are the favorites to win the T20 World Cup, but cautions that the format is unpredictable and that India's 'favourites' tag comes with its own dangers.
Kuldeep, spin strategy in focus as India prepare for Indore decider
Karnataka's bowlers Prasidh Krishna, Vidwath Kaverappa, and Shreyas Gopal dismantled Mumbai's batting lineup, while Mayank Agarwal's half-century put Karnataka in a commanding position on the first day of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal match.
The sesquicentenary of 'Vande Mataram' was the overriding theme of the ceremonial event held at the Vijay Chowk and presided over by President Droupadi Murmu, who arrived at the venue in a traditional buggy to the sound of bugles, adding a ceremonial grace to the occasion.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir attended the Bhasm Aarti at Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple in Ujjain on Friday.
Shubman Gill is set to use the Vijay Hazare Trophy as his first platform for response after being left out of India's 2026 T20 World Cup squad.
The opener also milked 100 runs for the opening wicket with Devon Conway.
Form and familiarity favour India in T20 World Cup
The Mumbai batter is available to play Vijay Hazare Trophy match on Jan 6.
If Iyer is cleared for international duty, Mumbai will need to appoint a new captain for the Vijay Hazare Trophy knockouts, which begin on January 12.
During the warm-ups for the second match against New Zealand in Rajkot on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, Kohli was caught on camera perfectly mimicking pacer Mohammed Siraj's bowling action.
Fans on social media accused Gautam Gambhir of favouritism, questioning Ayush Badoni's inclusion given his modest List A record.
Ravindra Jadeja's omission from the India ODI squad for Australia tour raised a few eyebrows but the veteran all-rounder was not surprised as the selection committee and team management had "communicated" to him about their inability to pick him.
Vijay Amritraj gets Padma Bhushan; Rohit Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur receive Padma Shri
In 55 ODIs, Gill has scored 2,755 runs at an average of 59.04, with eight centuries and 15 fifties and a best score of 208, which he hit against New Zealand back in early 2023 in Hyderabad.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav would want the attacking batter in him to front up and bolster his leadership against New Zealand when the five-match T20I series gets underway in Nagpur on Wednesday, serving as a final dress rehearsal for India's World Cup title defence in less than three weeks' time.
India to tour Bangladesh for three-match ODI and T20I series in September
NZ will lean on Kyle Jamieson to lead pace attack, Kristian Clarke to debut: Michael Bracewell
Former New Zealand all-rounder Doug Bracewell has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Monday, as per the ICC website.
Teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi showed glimpses of his batting prowess before wicketkeeper Abhigyan Kundu and Vedant Trivedi's unbeaten half-centuries powered India U-19 to a comprehensive seven-wicket win over Australia U-19 in the first Youth ODI, in Brisbane on Sunday.
USA batter Aaron Jones has been provisionally suspended for alleged fixing during the BIM10 league in Barbados in 2023-2024.
Quinton de Kock seems to have found another gear since his return to cricket and the South African attributed the new-found freedom in his batting to a mind without any 'baggage'.
Joe Root said he hopes England captain Harry Brook's WWE-inspired celebration after a blistering century against Sri Lanka on Tuesday will not be misinterpreted, as he attempts to rebuild trust following last year's nightclub incident.
Saurabh Netravalkar emphasizes the importance of a strong defensive strategy for the USA against India in the T20 World Cup, highlighting the team's experience and the significance of playing at Wankhede Stadium.
K L Rahul's unbeaten ton was eclipsed by Daryl Mitchell's splendid 131 not out as New Zealand levelled the three-match series 1-1 with a seven-wicket win in the second ODI.
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