Ravichandran Ashwin, the former India off-spinner, raised questions about why Yashasvi Jaiswal was left out of the squad chosen to face New Zealand in the forthcoming ODI series, adding his voice to a broader conversation around the selectors' decisions.

With Shubman Gill sidelined for the fourth and fifth ODIs, Jaiswal has been left out of both squads, as Ishan Kishan is expected to open the batting alongside Rohit Sharma. Ashwin contended that the opener warranted a place in at least the last two ODIs against New Zealand, arguing that Gill's unavailability opened a berth that would have given Jaiswal meaningful time in the one-day format.

Jaiswal's absence from the squad places his position at the top of India's one-day batting lineup under scrutiny, with selectors yet to signal clearly where — or whether — he features in the format going forward. Competition for places at the top of India's batting order is drawing attention as the side plots its path toward the next ODI World Cup, which is set to begin in roughly a year.

Captaincy for the opening three ODIs falls to Shubman Gill, with Shreyas Iyer serving as his deputy. The sixteen-man group for those matches also features Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Naman Dhir, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, and Prasidh Krishna, whose place in the setup remains contingent on him meeting the applicable selection and fitness requirements. Both KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan have been named as wicketkeepers within that group.

Captaincy for the remaining two ODIs passes to Shreyas Iyer, with Ishan Kishan named as vice-captain and wicketkeeper and Kumar Kushagra listed as the second keeping option. The sixteen-man squad for the fourth and fifth matches comprises Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, and Kuldeep Yadav. Jaiswal is not among those named to either group for the final two matches.

The BCCI has also named its squad for the two-Test home series against New Zealand, with Jasprit Bumrah back in the red-ball setup. Bumrah's most recent Test outing came in November 2025, and he is expected to anchor the pace bowling lineup when India and New Zealand open their series at Wellington on Thursday, 19 November 2026.

Rishabh Pant's place in the Test squad has been confirmed, though his availability on the field will hinge on whether he receives a fitness clearance from medical staff. The two-Test series is scheduled across two venues, with Wellington hosting the opening fixture on Thursday, 19 November 2026, and Christchurch taking the second on Friday, 27 November 2026.