[WATCH] Virat Kohli And India Squad Gear Up In Vadodara Ahead Of 1st ODI vs New Zealand 2026

Veteran batter Virat Kohli, along with his India teammates, took part in a rigorous training session on Thursday, January 8, as preparations kicked off for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand. The three-match series is set to begin on Sunday, January 11, at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara.

This series marks India’s first international assignment of 2026, ahead of a five-match T20I clash against the Black Caps. A video shared by the Baroda Cricket Association on Instagram showed Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal practicing in the nets.

Players were also involved in fitness drills, while captain Shubman Gill was seen discussing strategies with head coach Gautam Gambhir.

You can watch the video here:

 

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A post shared by Baroda Cricket Association (@barodacricketassociation)

Before the upcoming series, the Men in Blue defeated South Africa 2-1 in a home ODI clash, with Virat Kohli earning the Player of the Series award.

India vs New Zealand ODIs: Squads And Head-To-Head Record Preview

In ODIs, India and New Zealand have faced off 120 times. The Men in Blue have claimed 62 wins, while the Black Caps have taken 50 victories. Seven matches ended with no result, and one match was tied. The teams last met in a 50-over encounter during the 2025 Champions Trophy final, where India, under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, emerged victorious in both the match and the tournament in Dubai.

Below are the full squads for both sides:

India: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy.

New Zealand: Michael Bracewell (captain), Adi Ashok, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae, Kristian Clarke, and Will Young.

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