Indian ODI and Test Captain Shubman Gill, may sit out the final two ODIs against New Zealand to prioritise Test preparations. A recent report from journalist Abhishek Tripathi, has caught the attention
of cricket fans. With India’s full tour of New Zealand underway later this year, the packed schedule leaves almost no breathing space between the white-ball and red-ball fixtures. The five-match ODI series will finish on 15 November, and the first Test begins just four days later on 19 November in Wellington. That tight turnaround is prompting the team management to consider resting a few senior players, including the Indian captain, for the last two one-day matches.
A few Indian players including Shubman Gill could skip the final two ODIs against New Zealand to start preparations for the Test series.
– There’s very little gap between ODI and the Test series. Shreyas Iyer might captain India in the last two ODIs. (Abhishek Tripathi). pic.twitter.com/6hbLfk5gku
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 20, 2026
The idea makes practical sense as Gill is expected to lead the side in both the ODIs and the subsequent Tests. Asking him to play five consecutive ODIs and then immediately switch to the longer format in unfamiliar conditions could risk fatigue or niggles. Resting him and a couple of other key players for the fourth and fifth ODIs would give them extra time to acclimatise, work on red-ball skills, and arrive fresher for the Test series. In their absence, Shreyas Iyer is expected to take over the captaincy for those two games. He will already be doing leadership duties in the T20Is on this tour, so handing him the ODI armband for a couple of matches would be a natural extension of that responsibility.
India Tour of New Zealand 2026: Full Schedule, Start Dates and What to Expect
India’s tour of New Zealand in late 2026 is set to be one of the biggest bilateral series ever hosted by the Black Caps. It will be played for more than five weeks from 22 October to 1 December, the tour features five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests and this total of 12 matches is the largest inbound tour in New Zealand Cricket history. It also marks the first time India will play Tests in New Zealand since the 2019-20 series and their first white-ball visit since 2022.
The tour begins with the T20I series. The first two matches are scheduled at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on 22 and 24 October, followed by games in Wellington on 27 October, Auckland on 30 October and Hamilton (1 November). After a short gap, the five-match ODI series gets underway on 4 November at Eden Park, Auckland. The remaining ODIs will be played in Wellington (7 November), Hamilton (10 November) and two games at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui and the series will end on 15 November.
The red-ball phase follows almost immediately. The first Test will be played at the Basin Reserve in Wellington from 19 to 23 November, with the second and final Test at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, from 27 November to 1 December. The extremely short turnaround between the last ODI and the first Test is the main reason some key players may be rested from the closing white-ball games.
