Check why 4 players not joined Indian team yet for IND vs NZ 1st ODI

Indian players are getting ready for their first international match in 2026, as India will face New Zealand in the first ODI of the three-match home series on Sunday (January 11) in Baroda. Only four players of the complete squad have reportedly not joined the team yet, and here we can know the clear reason for their present absence from the national team.

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The Men in Blues are ready to begin their journey in 2026 with the home three-match ODI series against New Zealand, which will start on January 11. After the ODI series, India will host a five-match T20I series against New Zealand before hosting the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, along with Sri Lanka, where India will also defend the title. 

While the national selection committee has already announced the 15-member ODI squad for the home series, most of the players have already reached Baroda for the series opener, including the former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

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Four players were busy in Vijay Hazare Trophy; will join on Friday

However, four players of the 15-member squad are yet to join the team. These four names are Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Siraj. All these players are likely to join the squad on Friday (January 9), as they were busy in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. 

On Thursday (January 8), all four players played in the last day of the Elite group stage in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. Rishabh Pant led Delhi in their comfortable nine-wicket win against Haryana, while Mumbai captain Shreyas Iyer scored 45 off 34 balls in their one-run defeat against Punjab. Also, Mohammed Siraj picked up two wickets (2/45) in their three-wicket defeat against Jammu and Kashmir, and Ravindra Jadeja (52 not out off 39 balls and 3/62) had a strong all-round performance for Saurashtra in their 145-run win against Gujarat.