ODI series against New Zealand begins tomorrow; Gill needs 105 runs for 1,000 in 2026

The ODI series between India and New Zealand begins tomorrow. India won the preceding T20 series 3-2 and will go into the ODIs intending to win that series as well. Shubman Gill leads the side.

All eyes in the series will be on captain Gill, who has a chance to set a new batting record. Gill has performed superbly in ODI cricket in 2026. He needs only 105 more runs to complete 1,000 ODI runs this year. As soon as he scores 105 runs, the record will be his.

Gill has looked in tremendous form over the last several matches. Under his captaincy, India have won a major series and several matches. Given the form he is in, crossing the mark of just 105 runs should not be too difficult for him.

Among the top five run-scorers of 2026, Gill is at the top with 895 runs. England's Ben Duckett is second with 737 runs. Sri Lanka's Pavan Rathnayake is third with 692 runs. England's Joe Root is fourth with 680 runs and Namibia's Gerhard Erasmus is fifth with 662 runs.

India's batting will rest on Rohit, Virat and Shubman. The performances of Rohit and Virat are also being watched closely.

The playing XI is also a matter of discussion. Shreyas Iyer, the T20 captain, is likely to get a place in the side. If he does, Ruturaj Gaikwad may have to sit out again this time. KL Rahul is very likely to play in the middle order as wicketkeeper-batter, and Ishan Kishan may therefore have to sit on the bench.

India's probable playing XI for the first ODI is: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh and Gurnoor Brar.