Vadodara, January 11, 2026 - India will bowl first in the opening One Day International against New Zealand after captain Shubman Gill won the toss at the BCA Stadium. The match marks the international debut for young Clarke, while wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been ruled out due to injury.
Gill's decision to field first was influenced by the trend at the venue. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2024/25, teams winning the toss at this stadium chose to bowl first in all six List-A matches, though interestingly, the team batting first won four of those games. The average first innings score at the BCA Stadium is 284. Gill expressed confidence in his team's ability to exploit any early morning moisture and gain an advantage.
This match is particularly significant as the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara hosts its first-ever One Day International. Ahead of the match, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Prasidh Krishna all praised the facilities at the stadium. New Zealand's Michael Bracewell also complimented the venue, noting the state-of-the-art facilities and the "absolutely amazing outfield".
India enters the series with a strong record against New Zealand in home ODIs, having never lost a home series to the Kiwis. When New Zealand toured India in 2023, India secured a dominant 3-0 victory.
Despite the looming T20 World Cup, the focus for India will be on building momentum in the 50-over format. Senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are expected to play key roles, bringing their experience and recent form from the Vijay Hazare Trophy. India will "bank heavily on the rich vein of form of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma".
Teams winning the toss have aimed to bowl first, leveraging any potential advantage from conditions. India has also broken a remarkable streak of losing 20 consecutive ODI tosses, which started at the 2023 World Cup final. Michael Bracewell said New Zealand would have also preferred to bowl first.
