Star Indian All-Rounder Unlikely to Play ODI Series Against New Zealand: Report

Udaipur, Dec 29, 2025: Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya was in great form for Team India in the recently finished five-match T20I series against South Africa. The 32-year-old from Baroda, who made his international debut in January 2016 against Australia, played four matches under Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy. With two half-centuries, he scored 142 runs in three innings. He also won two Player of the Match awards and had an impressive strike rate of 186.84 in the series.

After his strong performance in the home series, where he also joined the 100 wickets and 100 sixes club for India in T20Is, Hardik is likely to be rested for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand.

The world No. 1 ODI team, India, will face the Black Caps in a three-match ODI series starting January 11. The first match will be played in Vadodara on January 11, followed by the next two ODIs on January 14 and January 18 in Rajkot and Indore, respectively.

Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah Likely to Be Rested

The BCCI’s senior men’s selection committee, led by former fast bowler Ajit Agarkar, is yet to announce India’s squad for the three-match ODI series in January 2026. However, according to a report by Cricbuzz on Sunday (December 28), India is likely to rest Hardik Pandya and star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah.

Hardik has not played an ODI for India since the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on March 9 in Dubai against New Zealand. Bumrah’s last ODI appearance came in the ODI World Cup 2023 final against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Both players are fully fit, but the team management wants to rest them. This decision has been taken keeping the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup 2026 in mind. Hardik and Bumrah are expected to be part of the T20I squad for both events.

Domestic Cricket and Squad Update

As per available information, the BCCI selectors are likely to announce India’s ODI squad on January 4 or 5. It has also been reported that Hardik will play a few matches for his domestic team, Vadodra (Baroda), in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.

The BCCI has made domestic cricket mandatory for all Indian national team players. Because of this rule, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also played early matches of the tournament for Mumbai and Delhi, respectively.

According to Cricbuzz, Hardik may play in two of Vadodra's last three league matches. The team is led by his elder brother, Krunal Pandya.

Virat Kohli played the first two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches for Delhi and scored 131 and 77 against Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. He will miss the next three Elite Group D matches but is set to return for Delhi’s second-last league game against Services.

A senior Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) official said, “Kohli will return for the penultimate league match on January 6 against Railways at the KSCA ground in Alur. After that, he will join the Indian team for the three ODIs against New Zealand.”