Shubman Gill omitted from India’s XI for fifth ODI at Bay Oval

Shubman Gill is not part of India’s playing XI for the fifth One-Day International against New Zealand at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on November 15, 2026; he has left the limited-overs squad to join India’s Test camp.

The five-match series has produced two low-scoring contests, the third game was abandoned because of rain, India won the opening two matches and New Zealand rebounded with a 244-run victory in the fourth ODI. With one match remaining, India need a win in the fifth ODI to claim the series while New Zealand are fighting to keep their home record intact; the article states New Zealand have not lost a bilateral ODI series at home this decade and last lost a home series in 2019 against India.

Shreyas Iyer will captain India in the fifth match after a start described in the report as a disappointing beginning to his ODI captaincy debut; Gill had led the side in the first three matches of the series. The report notes Gill’s name was absent from the playing XI in the fourth ODI.

The report records Gill’s contributions in the series: he scored 37 in the first ODI in Auckland and shared a 113-run match-winning partnership with Virat Kohli in that game. It also records that Gill was dismissed for a duck in the second match.

Khelnow states Gill’s omission is not due to poor form, difficulty in conditions, or any injury. According to the report, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has rested him from the final two ODIs so he can prepare for the upcoming Test assignment and manage workload.

The two-match Test series between India and New Zealand will start on November 19, and the report says Gill will lead the visitors in that format. For the immediate next step in the current series, Iyer remains India’s captain for the fifth ODI at Bay Oval as both teams contest the deciding match.