India will face New Zealand in the first ODI of 2026 in Vadodara, with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma returning to the side. This match will mark India’s first of the year, and skipper Shubman Gill will be looking to start the new year with a victory. Along with Gill, Shreyas Iyer, who has recovered from injury, will also be making a comeback.

However, just before the match, India suffered a major setback as wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was ruled out after suffering a rib injury. Pant had felt discomfort after being hit above the waist by a throwdown delivery during the practice session. Though no official announcement has been made by the BCCI yet, sources confirmed that Pant’s rib injury has forced him out of the series.

With Pant out, KL Rahul is expected to take over as the wicketkeeper, while Shreyas Iyer will fill the middle order. The top order will feature Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli. Both Kohli and Rohit are coming off solid performances against South Africa, with Kohli continuing his brilliant run in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

This match will be a great opportunity for Gill to rediscover his form after some underwhelming performances in recent times.

The all-rounder options will include Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy, with Washington Sundar missing out. Since Hardik Pandya is not part of the squad, Reddy will provide assistance to the pacers.

For the bowling department, India is expected to go with pacers Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh, with Kuldeep Yadav as the sole specialist spinner.