India leads 2-0 in the five-match ODI series against New Zealand ahead of the fourth fixture at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Friday with Shreyas Iyer taking over the captaincy.
Shreyas Iyer steps in as India’s captain for the fourth and fifth matches of the series. News18 Telugu reported that he becomes the 29th player to lead the national ODI team, as TV9 Telugu noted. The leadership change follows a split in the squad after rain washed out the third match in Hamilton, Samayam Telugu explained.
Why Did The Squad Split
Captain Shubman Gill, wicketkeeper KL Rahul, and fast bowler Anshul Kamboj left the one-day squad. They departed to prepare for the two-Test series starting November 19 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. The Board of Control for Cricket in India managed player workloads by releasing these three players ahead of the final two fixtures.
Rain has the final say as #TeamIndia clinch a 4️⃣-run win via DLS to go 2-0 up in the series 💙 Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/pxZRYf6dYV#NZvIND pic.twitter.com/9QywzpNCKh
New Players Join The Roster
Tilak Varma, Yash Thakur, and Kumar Kushagra entered the squad as replacements. Varma last played an ODI against South Africa in December 2025. Thakur and Kushagra earned their maiden senior team call-ups. Ishan Kishan takes over vice-captaincy duties and wicketkeeping for the remaining matches.
India Secures a Series Lead
India secured a 2-0 advantage after defending low totals in the opening games. They won the second fixture by four runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-affected encounter. Pacer Gurnoor Brar claimed four wickets in that match to dismiss New Zealand for 134. The third match in Hamilton then ended in a washout.
What a day at Bay Oval 😍 The 4th ODI starts tomorrow at 3pm! pic.twitter.com/njm9Kss7L4
New Zealand Adjusts Team Lineup
New Zealand released Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Nathan Smith, and Henry Nicholls for the Test camp. The hosts added Finn Allen, Mitch Hay, Dean Foxcroft, Nick Kelly, and Brett Randell to their roster. Lockie Ferguson missed the final two games with a calf strain.
Shreyas Iyer Seeks to Match Sachin Tendulkar's Captaincy Record
Shreyas Iyer takes charge with an opportunity to join legendary company. Sachin Tendulkar remains the only Indian player to score a century in his first match as ODI captain, having hit 110 runs against Sri Lanka on August 28, 1996.
New Zealand holds an impressive home record by winning eleven consecutive ODI series since 2007 before India disrupted that streak in the current tour. Watch the match on Friday, November 13, at Mount Maunganui’s Bay Oval, starting at 7:30 AM Indian Standard Time with live broadcasts on the Sony Sports Network and streaming through SonyLIV.
