Shreyas Iyer will captain India for the first time in one-day internationals when the fourth match of the five-match series against New Zealand starts at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, on Friday 13 November. The match begins at 7:30 AM IST. Shreyas Iyer becomes India’s 29th ODI captain, and the 31-year-old takes charge of a side that leads the series 2-0 with two matches to play.
Regular captain Shubman Gill has left the squad to prepare for the two-match Test series against the same opponents. Wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul and fast bowler Anshul Kamboj have left with him. The decision was made before the series as part of workload management, and it was not caused by injury. Ishan Kishan will be deputy for the final two one-day matches.
Shreyas Iyer steps in with Gill on Test duty
Gill was appointed India’s ODI captain in October 2025, and Shreyas Iyer was named vice-captain at the same time. Iyer was appointed India’s T20I captain in June 2026, after about two and a half years outside India’s T20I plans. The new role in the 50-over game adds to a year in which he has moved into senior leadership roles in more than one format. He has led at domestic level and in the Indian Premier League, and the selectors have now handed him the national one-day side for the closing matches of this series.
For Shreyas Iyer, the fourth ODI is a chance to lead a settled side in a match India can use to seal the series. A win at Mount Maunganui would give India an unassailable 3-0 lead with one match left. The squad for the final two matches also includes Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two of the most capped players in the side, and their presence gives the new captain senior players to turn to on the field.
India lead 2-0 after rain ends third match
India won the first two matches of the series, in Auckland and Wellington, to take a 2-0 lead. The third ODI in Hamilton was washed out without a ball being bowled. Rain returned as the covers came off for a 40-overs-a-side contest, and the match was called off. Gill won the toss before the rain and chose to bowl first.
Tilak Varma, Kumar Kushagra and Yash Thakur were added to the squad as replacements for the players who left for Test duty. The changes give the selectors a look at younger players in the closing matches of a series India already lead. The fifth ODI takes place on Sunday 15 November, and the first Test of the two-match series begins in Wellington on 19 November.
Shreyas Iyer and the closing matches
Shreyas Iyer takes over a team in a strong position, and the fourth ODI is his first chance to set the tone as captain. The home side will want a response after losing the first two matches, and the match at Bay Oval is their chance to keep the series alive. India will want to close the series out before the final match and head into the Test series with the one-day honours settled.
The captaincy also puts Iyer in charge of the field settings, the bowling changes and the tempo of the innings. Those are the calls that shape a one-day match, and Shreyas Iyer will be watched closely in his first game in the role. The team management has backed him with the vice-captaincy in this format, and the fourth ODI is the first time he will put that backing into practice at the head of the side.
New Zealand need a win to stay in the series
New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, need a win against Shreyas Iyer’s side to stay alive in the series. A defeat at Mount Maunganui would end their hopes with one match still to play, and the home side will be looking for a sharp improvement after the first two defeats. The fifth ODI follows on Sunday 15 November, and the Test series then begins in Wellington on 19 November.
The fourth ODI starts at 7:30 AM IST on Friday 13 November at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui. Shreyas Iyer will walk out for the toss as India’s 29th ODI captain, and a win would seal the series for the visitors with a match to spare.