Last Updated on 3 months ago by Charbel Coorey
After battling it out for 99 overs — something an inexperienced Kiwi side would take pride in — India finally put an end to New Zealand’s nine-match ODI winning streak in Vadodara. The caravan moves 300 km east to the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, where New Zealand will battle a strong Indian team to keep their hopes of registering a first bilateral ODI series triumph in India alive, while the hosts look to seal the series with a game to spare.
Match Details
- New Zealand tour of India, 2026: 2nd ODI
- Time: 1:30 PM IST
- Venue: Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot
IND vs NZ 2nd ODI 2026 Possible Playing XIs
Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the ODI series with a rib injury, with uncapped batter Ayush Badoni brought in as cover. However, it seems unlikely that he will feature immediately in the XI, with Nitish Kumar Reddy perhaps getting the first nod. That should be the only change India make, unless they decide to rotate their seamers and give Arshdeep Singh a go instead of Prasidh.
India: 1. Rohit Sharma, 2. Shubman Gill (c), 3. Virat Kohli, 4. Shreyas Iyer, 5. Nitish Kumar Reddy, 6. KL Rahul (wk), 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. Harshit Rana, 9. Kuldeep Yadav, 10. Mohammed Siraj, 11. Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh
New Zealand, too, should remain largely unchanged, with perhaps the only deliberation being over the young leggie. Could they bring in the more precise, albeit defensive, left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox in his place? Or will they persist with the more wicket-taking option in Ashok?
New Zealand: 1. Devon Conway, 2. Henry Nicholls, 3. Will Young, 4. Daryl Mitchell, 5. Glenn Phillips, 6. Mitch Hay (wk), 7. Michael Bracewell (c), 8. Kristian Clarke, 9. Kyle Jamieson, 10. Zak Foulkes, 11. Adithya Ashok/Jayden Lennox
Niranjan Shah Stadium Rajkot Pitch Report and Weather
One can expect another batting paradise in Rajkot. Across the four ODIs played at the venue, the average first-innings score stands at 321.75. The batting average at the venue has been a high 41.44, with runs being scored at 6.13 per over so far.
Interestingly, the team batting first has won all four matches at Rajkot, and the team winning the toss opted to bat first on three of those occasions. It remains to be seen whether that trend changes this time around due to dew, if it arrives — something that did not happen in Vadodara.
The weather is expected to be ideal for cricket, with bright sunshine throughout the day.
Fantasy Cricket Tips for IND vs NZ 2nd ODI 2026 – Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Top wicketkeeper picks:
- Devon Conway: With a solid knock of 56 in Vadodara, Conway will look to carry his good form through the rest of the series. He is also the only top-order option among the wicketkeepers, making him the safest choice.
Key batter picks:
- Virat Kohli: His last seven List A innings read: 93 (91), 77 (61), 131 (101), 65* (45), 102 (93), 135 (120), and 74* (81). Not much needs to be said beyond that. He could even become the world’s No.1 ranked ODI batter by the time of the match.
- Rohit Sharma: Although he was dismissed for just 26 in Vadodara, he looked in good touch, and a big score may be around the corner. His ODI scores in Rajkot are 65 (74), 42 (44), 81 (57), if they are indicators of anything.
- Daryl Mitchell: He showed why he’s the No. 3 ranked ODI batter in the world by top-scoring for the Black Caps and taking them to 300. He clearly enjoys batting in India, where he now averages 55.83 after 13 innings. Arguably the world’s best No. 4 ODI batter at present.
- Shreyas Iyer: He batted authoritatively for his 49 off 47 on his return to international cricket after injury, and with no real threats in the opposition, he could score big once again.
Top all-rounder picks:
- Michael Bracewell: A run-out, courtesy of a phenomenal fielding effort from Iyer, meant his innings ended cheaply at 16, but Bracewell remains a dangerous lower-order hitter, and that — coupled with his off-spin — makes him a top pick for this match.
Key bowler picks:
- Kuldeep Yadav: Just the solitary wicket in the first ODI, but Kuldeep remains one of the best — if not the best — ODI wrist-spinners in the world, and also India’s biggest wicket-taker in the middle overs.
- Harshit Rana: He was used across all three phases and is a natural wicket-taker, reflected in his ODI bowling strike rate of 25.91. He is also steadily being groomed as a No. 8 batter, boosting his fantasy value compared to other Indian pacers.
- Kyle Jamieson: India’s nemesis in Test cricket decided to break the game open in ODI cricket this time, picking up three wickets in a span of seven balls in Vadodara. Speaking of Jamieson in the post-match presentation, captain Bracewell said, “I wish he (Jamieson) could have bowled 15 overs. Coming off an injury, to see him bowling the way he did today was a big positive for us.”
Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams
- Shubman Gill: A half-century and time spent in the middle would have done wonders for Shubman Gill’s confidence after a scratchy second half of 2025, during which he went a while without a fifty across formats. He isn’t quite at his best yet, but he could be very soon.
- Glenn Phillips: His match-up against Kuldeep isn’t quite in his favour, but he can still be a dangerous lower-order batter, and as someone who can contribute in all three departments, he remains a viable selection for your team.
- Mohammed Siraj: The leader of the pack, he has been in good form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and even picked up two wickets in Vadodara.
- Mitchell Hay: Although he bats lower down the order, he can be considered for selection, especially if New Zealand bats first and you expect Kuldeep Yadav to take wickets in the middle overs, which could bring Hay to the crease earlier. During his brief stay in the middle in the previous game, he looked a decent player. In July 2024, he was also selected for an intensive training camp at the Chennai Super Kings Academy — a programme specifically designed to prepare potential international players for subcontinental conditions.
IND vs NZ 2nd ODI 2026 Dream11 Prediction Today
Note: The below team is not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update this in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.
Top safe C/VC options: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Daryl Mitchell, Devon Conway
Top risky C/VC options: Shubman Gill, Kuldeep Yadav
I encourage you to build your own Fantasy XI using the insights provided in the article. Instead of giving you a ready-made team, I’ve offered a base team. Use it as a starting point to select the players you believe will lead you to victory!
