Shreyas Iyer to captain India in fourth ODI at Mount Maunganui as hosts aim to clinch series
Shreyas Iyer will make his ODI captaincy debut for India in the fourth match of the five‑match series against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui on Friday, November 13, 2026, with the game starting at 7.30 am IST. India lead the series 2-0 and can seal the rubber with victory, while New Zealand must win the remaining fixtures after the third ODI was abandoned.
India and New Zealand have both undergone significant squad changes ahead of the fourth ODI as they juggle white‑ball commitments with red‑ball preparations; India have made several forced alterations and New Zealand have similarly adjusted personnel. Iyer’s struggles against the short ball have resurfaced during the series, and he will captain India for the final two ODIs with Shubman Gill leaving the squad to focus on the Test series beginning on November 19. K L Rahul and Anshul Kamboj have also withdrawn from the ODI group to fine tune their red‑ball games.
The enforced changes open opportunities for Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan and senior pacer Mohammed Siraj to stake claims before the Tests, with selection choices to be clarified for the game. With Gill unavailable, the likely candidates to partner Rohit Sharma at the top are Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad; Gaikwad has batted in the middle order in his last five ODI innings. It remains to be seen whether Gaikwad will move up the order or continue in the middle if selected.
Rohit Sharma has scores of 0 and 23 in the series so far, while Ishan Kishan missed most of the preceding T20 series through injury and is keen for game time. Kishan previously recorded a double century while opening four years ago, and in Rahul’s absence he is expected to keep wicket. The report notes Gaikwad is not part of the first eleven and that he has "racked up a hundred and a half century in his last four ODI innings," presenting him as a replacement option.
In the bowling unit, Mohammed Siraj is expected to replace the in‑form Anshul Kamboj; Siraj has not been at his best over the last three months but took four wickets in the India A game last week. It is noted that Siraj has not yet bowled in the ODI series despite his pedigree. Auqib Nabi and Arshdeep Singh are set to retain their places in the playing eleven.
New Zealand have also released several players to focus on the upcoming Tests, with Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Nathan Smith and Henry Nicholls unavailable for the ODIs. Wicketkeeper‑batter Tim Seifert commented on the personnel changes: "...whoever steps into their role, they're going to try their best, same with us, whoever steps into the role that the boys have left, everyone's going to try their best as well," and the report adds that half of New Zealand's support staff have linked up with the Test side in Wellington. The Blackcaps have added uncapped Brett Randell to the squad.
New Zealand last lost an ODI series at home seven years ago against India, placing them in a must‑win situation for Friday’s fixture. The squads named for the match are: New Zealand — Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Kristian Clarke, Jacob Duffy, Matt Fisher, Dean Foxcroft, Mitch Hay (WK), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Brett Randell, Tim Seifert (WK), Will Young; India — Shreyas Iyer (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav.
The fourth ODI at Mount Maunganui starts at 7.30 am IST; a win for India would allow them to seal the five‑match series, while New Zealand must win the remaining fixtures to save the rubber.
