India vs New Zealand: The white ball series opener between India and New Zealand is scheduled to kickstart with the 3-match ODI series on January 11 (Sunday). Team India starts the year 2026 with a crucial assignment ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Following a strong performance in the limited-overs series against South Africa at home in November 2024, the hosts are all set to face the blackcaps.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli— the two heavyweights of Indian cricket, make their international appearance following a sensational outing in the ongoing domestic tournament of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
With Shubman Gill returning to helm as India’s ODI captain, let’s predict the winner of the IND vs NZ 1st ODI 2026 by analyzing the head-to-head records, weather, pitch report, and possible dominant playing XI combination of both teams.
IND vs NZ 1st ODI 2026 Match Details
- Men’s ODI Match Number: 4937
- Date and Day: January 11, 2026 (Sunday)
- Venue: Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) Stadium, Vadodara, Kotambi
- Seating Capacity: 40,000
- Timings: 01:30 pm IST / 08 pm GMT
Head-to-Head Analytical Stats of IND vs NZ in ODIs
India’s records against New Zealand have been impressive in the ODI format, having won 62 out of 120 matches, and here are the detailed head-to-head stats:
| Total ODIs Played (IND vs NZ) | 120 |
| Matches Won | IND: 62, and NZ: 50 |
| No Result | 07 |
| Tied Matches | 01 |
| ODIs Won at Home | IND: 31, and NZ: 26 |
| ODIs Won Away | IND: 14, and NZ: 08 |
| ODIs Won at Neutral Venue | IND: 17, and NZ: 16 |
| Highest ODI Innings Total (IND vs NZ) | IND: 397/4 in 50 overs, and NZ: 349/9 in 50 overs |
| Lowest ODI Innings Total (IND vs NZ) | IND: 88 all-out in 29.3 overs, and NZ: 79 all-out in 23.1 overs |
India and New Zealand’s Performance in the Last 5 ODIs
Interestingly, New Zealand has remained unbeaten in its last 5 ODIs, while India’s record includes a mix of wins and losses.
New Zealand’s Winning Streak in the Last 5 ODIs:
- 4-wicket win vs West Indies ( 3rd ODI).
- 5-wicket win vs West Indies ( 2nd ODI).
- 7-Run win vs West Indies (1st ODI).
- 2-wicket win vs England (3rd ODI).
- 5-wicket win vs England (2nd ODI).
India’s Performance in the Last 5 ODIs:
- 9-wicket win vs South Africa (3rd ODI).
- 4-wicket loss vs South Africa (2nd ODI).
- 17-run win vs South Africa (1st ODI).
- 9-wicket win vs Australia (3rd ODI).
- 2-wicket loss vs Australia (2nd ODI).
Vadodara Weather Report for IND vs NZ 1st ODI 2026
India and New Zealand will compete under clear weather conditions in the opening ODI match, as there are no chances of rainfall to cause interruptions in Vadodara.
- Temperature: 18°C to 29°C
- Wind Speed: 20 km/hr to 26 km/hr
- Humidity: 25% to 30%
- Cloud Cover: 3%
- Dew Point: 18°
- Rainfall Chances: 0%
BCA Stadium Latest Pitch Conditions and Toss Factor
The recent pitch report at the BCA stadium has been batter-friendly to compile massive runs on the board. A huge level of bounce and pace on the Bermuda grass pitches allows the batter to gain an upper hand over the bowlers.
Experienced and highly skilled pacers will be able to make use of the grassy surface to grab quick wickets.
As a high-scoring contest is likely to take place, the toss-winning captain would prefer batting first and accumulating high totals that become challenging to chase in the second innings.
India vs New Zealand 1st ODI 2026 Strongest Predicted XI
Here is how India and New Zealand can include their core set of players to form a strong playing XI combination for the 1st ODI:
India’s Expected Playing XI vs New Zealand in 1st ODI 2026:
| S.No | Player | Role |
| 1. | Rohit Sharma | Batter |
| 2. | Shubman Gill (Captain) | Batter |
| 3. | Virat Kohli | Batter |
| 4. | Shreyas Iyer | Batter |
| 5. | KL Rahul | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| 6. | Ravindra Jadeja | Spin Bowling All-Rounder |
| 7. | Washington Sundar | Spin Bowling All-Rounder |
| 8. | Nitish Kumar Reddy | Fast Bowling All-Rounder |
| 9. | Kuldeep Yadav | Spin Bowler |
| 10. | Mohammed Siraj | Fast Bowler |
| 11. | Prasidh Krishna | Fast Bowler |
New Zealand’s Expected Playing XI vs India in 1st ODI 2026:
| S.No | Player | Role |
| 1. | Devon Conway | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| 2. | Will Young | Batter |
| 3. | Daryl Mitchell | Fast Bowling All-Rounder |
| 4. | Glenn Phillips | Spin Bowling All-Rounder |
| 5. | Michael Bracewell (Captain) | Spin Bowling All-Rounder |
| 6. | Mitchell Hay | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| 7. | Josh Clarkson | Fast Bowling All-Rounder |
| 8. | Kyle Jamieson | Fast Bowler |
| 9. | Michael Rae | Fast Bowler |
| 10. | Kristian Clarke | Fast Bowler |
| 11. | Adithya Ashok | Spin Bowler |
India vs New Zealand 1st ODI 2026 Winner Prediction and Overall Opinion
Although India dominates the head-to-head stats, New Zealand’s unbeaten record in their last five ODIs makes them the favorites to start the series on a winning note.
Despite Rohit and Kohli’s presence, Team India playing under an inexperienced captain like Shubman Gill, added with New Zealand’s strong spin and pace bowling attack, threatens to make the contest one-sided.
Overall, the team boasting a powerful batting line-up has higher chances to secure a victory in the opening ODI.