Last Updated on 2 months ago by Charbel Coorey
New Zealand finally managed to defeat India in an ODI after 1,146 days, doing so in Rajkot to level the series. The Black Caps have toured India for ODI cricket on 16 different occasions and have never emerged winners at the end of any of those series.
After handing India a Test series whitewash last season, they will be hoping to break new ground in ODIs as well as they head into the decider in Indore.
Match Details
- New Zealand tour of India, 2026: 3rd ODI.
- Time: 1:30 PM IST.
- Venue: Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore.
IND vs NZ 3rd ODI 2026 Possible Playing XIs
India should go in unchanged, unless they decide to rotate their seamers and give Arshdeep Singh a go in place of Prasidh.
India: 1. Rohit Sharma, 2. Shubman Gill (c), 3. Virat Kohli, 4. Shreyas Iyer, 5. KL Rahul (wk), 6. Nitish Kumar Reddy, 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. Harshit Rana, 9. Kuldeep Yadav, 10. Mohammed Siraj, 11. Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh
New Zealand are likely to stick with the same winning combination.
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. Jayden Lennox
Holkar Cricket Stadium Indore Pitch Report and Weather
Another run-fest appears on the cards in Indore. The ground is known for producing big totals, and the venue is expected to live up to its reputation.
Across the seven ODIs played at the venue, the average first-innings score stands at 331.7. Of those seven, five have been day-night ODIs, where the average first-innings score rises to 348.4. Much like Rajkot, data suggests that teams batting first have enjoyed greater success at the venue, with four of the five day-night ODIs being won by the side setting the total.
However, dew is expected to play a role during the evening, as Indore is witnessing misty conditions during mornings and nights.
“Final preparations for the pitch are on and we are doing the final touches. It will be a black soil pitch prepared at the centre of the stadium,” Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association chief pitch curator Manohar Jamle said a couple of days ago. He added that the nature of the surface should once again favour scoring. “The Holkar Stadium pitch is famous for high-scoring games, and this one too is prepared for a run fiesta,” he said.
Left-arm orthodox spinners and wrist-spinners have been the most effective bowling types at this venue, while fast bowlers have struggled both to contain runs and take wickets.
The weather is expected to be ideal for cricket, with bright sunshine throughout the day.
Fantasy Cricket Tips for IND vs NZ 3rd ODI 2026 – Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Top wicketkeeper picks:
- Devon Conway: After an early dismissal in Rajkot following a solid knock of 56 in Vadodara, Conway will want to finish the series on a high. He is the only top-order batter in the wicketkeeper category, and hence the safest bet.
- KL Rahul: Although he bats lower down the order, he has scores of 29* (21) and 112* (92) in this series and is yet to be dismissed. He also now has a very high selection percentage, making it tough to leave him out of the team. However, if India are batting second, you could punt and leave him out.
Key batter picks:
- Virat Kohli: Perhaps the law of averages caught up with Kohli as he was finally dismissed for a score under 50 after seven List A innings in Rajkot, but that only means the hundred he missed out on in Vadodara might be around the corner here in Indore.
- Daryl Mitchell: The highest run-scorer of the series with 215 runs in two innings, he is the backbone of New Zealand’s ODI batting line-up and will be looking to propel the Kiwis to their maiden ODI series triumph on Indian soil.
- Shubman Gill: The Indian skipper has eased into the series with consecutive scores of exactly 56 and has looked good on both occasions. He scored a century the last time India played in Indore and will be keen to replicate that in the series decider.
- Rohit Sharma: He has made starts in both innings but has failed to convert them into big scores so far, something he will be keen to do in Indore.
Top allrounder picks:
- Michael Bracewell: He bowled brilliantly to finish with figures of 10-1-34-1 in the second ODI, but the series is yet to see his batting pedigree. An odd wicket here and there, combined with his lower-order hitting, makes him a fine fantasy prospect.
Key bowler picks:
- Harshit Rana: He bowls across all three phases of the game, is a genuine wicket-taker in ODI cricket, and is also steadily being groomed as a No. 8 batter, boosting his fantasy value compared to other Indian pacers.
- Kyle Jamieson: The highest wicket-taker of the series, Jamieson is also the only bowler to average under 30 so far and has been a consistent threat, especially with the new ball. He is also the only bowler to have bowled multiple maidens in the series.
Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams
- Shreyas Iyer: Like Gill, Shreyas also notched up a century the last time India played in Indore. He got a start in Vadodara but hasn’t scored big so far in this series and will be looking to end it on a high.
- Kuldeep Yadav: Daryl Mitchell expertly nullified his threat in the last game, scoring 50 runs off him alone by stepping out, using sweeps and reverse sweeps, paddling, and essentially never letting him settle. He will once again be Kuldeep’s primary challenge. Even aside from that, there do appear to be some underlying concerns in Kuldeep’s bowling.
- 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 the most economical bowler of the series and has probably been a little unlucky not to have more than two wickets to his name.
IND vs NZ 3rd ODI 2026 Dream11 Prediction Today
- Top safe C/VC options: Virat Kohli, Daryl Mitchell, Shubman Gill
- Top risky C/VC options: Shreyas Iyer, Devon Conway, Kuldeep Yadav
Given the likely nature of the pitch and conditions in Indore, it might be better to load your fantasy XI with more batters and all-rounders than bowlers.
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!
