When will Team India’s ODI squad for New Zealand tour be selected? Details inside

Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir (Photo by BCCI) MUMBAI: The Indian squad for the five-match ODI series for India’s upcoming tour of New Zealand will be selected “in the next two to three days,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told TOI on Wednesday.“We will select the Indian ODI team in the next two or three days,” Saikia told this paper.Pacers Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana are understood to undergo Return to Play (RTP) tests on October 24 or 26 at the BCCI’s Center of Excellence in Bengaluru, after which the selectors are likely to announce the Indian squad for the two-Test series, which is scheduled to begin in Wellington from November 19.On Thursday, both the Indian men’s and women’s teams will be felicitated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi following their gold medal campaigns at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.The Pragyan Ojha-led selection committee has already picked the Indian T20I squad for the five-match T20I series in New Zealand starting on October 22. The five-match ODI series will begin on November 4 in Auckland. Ojha is understood to have met Team India captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir in Hyderabad on Wednesday, who celebrated his 45th birthday, for the first time since the BCCI asked him to take over as the interim chairman of the national selection committee.Among the newcomers, one of the strong contenders for a spot is Mumbai all-rounder Suryansh Shedge, who has emerged as a strong contender for his first ODI call-up after some impressive performances in the recently concluded List A series against Australia A in Puducherry.The 23-year-old Shedge, who played three T20Is for India in England, recently returned to competitive cricket after recovering from a hamstring injury and replaced injured senior Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, impressing with both bat and ball, taking four four-wicket 40s with seam bowling before scoring 66 in the winning run in the Onedayer final.Pandya’s prolonged absence from competitive cricket due to a string of injuries, a dip in performance and Pandya’s next best alternative, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, may work in favor of Shedge, who is set to join the Mumbai team for their second Ranji Trophy match of the 2026-27 season against Himachal, starting in Himachal on 18.The fifth ODI in Tauranga will be played on November 15, while the first Test in Wellington begins on November 19, meaning that like New Zealand, India will pick a “split squad” for the ODI series as several Indian regulars may be gearing up with the red ball to prepare for the crucial Test World Cup series.Interviews with candidates for the junior selection committeeMeanwhile, on Tuesday, BCCI’s two-member cricket advisory committee comprising former India batsmen Ashok Malhotra and Jatin Paranjape interviewed several candidates for the junior selection committee post through zoom call.