Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya unlikely during IND vs NZ ODIs; Virat Kohli to play 1 more VHT match for Delhi in New Year

The BCCI selection committee in all probability will rest Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting next month. New Zealand will tour India for three ODIs and five T20Is in January 2026. The series will start with the one-dayers with the games to be played in Baroda (January 11), Rajkot (January 14) and Indore (January 18).

According to a report in Cricbuzz, the decision to rest both Bumrah and Pandya came, keeping in mind the subsequent T20I series and the World Cup in February. Crucial members of the Indian T20I side, resting Bumrah and Pandya in ODIs will keep them fresh for the rigorous one month and half of T20 cricket.

The five T20Is between India and New Zealand will be played in Nagpur (January 21), Raipur (January 23), Guwahati (January 25), Visakhapatnam (January 28) and Thiruvananthapuram (January 31). The last time Pandya played an ODI for India was in the ICC Champions Trophy final in March.

Since then, fitness issues kept Pandya out of the Indian ODI side. Bumrah's last ODI for India came two years back during the 2023 ODI World Cup final.