With a 2-0 lead in the five-match series following two rain-affected wins in Auckland and Wellington and a complete washout in Hamilton, Team India head to the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Friday, November 13, looking to seal the series. However, the Men in Blue will take the field with a revamped lineup and a new captain at the helm.
Mohammed Siraj's return on card for 4th T20I vs NZ
Following the abandonment of the third ODI in Hamilton, regular skipper Shubman Gill, senior wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, and pacer Anshul Kamboj departed for Wellington to join the red-ball camp ahead of the two-match Test series starting November 19. With Shreyas Iyer stepping in as stand-in captain for the final two ODIs, the Indian team management is set to hand opportunities to its bench strength, most notably bringing Ishan Kishan back to open alongside Rohit Sharma, slotting Tilak Varma into the middle order at No. 5, and recalling Mohammed Siraj to lead the pace attack.
Hindustan Times
India’s probable Playing XI for 4th ODI vs New Zealand
Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Auqib Nabi, Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh
Top Order: Ishan Kishan Reunited with Rohit Sharma
The departure of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul opens up two critical slots in India’s batting unit—opener and wicketkeeper—and Ishan Kishan neatly solves both puzzles. Having been on the sidelines for the first three matches, the explosive left-hander is poised to partner Rohit Sharma at the top of the order.
Kishan’s inclusion restores a left-right opening combination that can disrupt New Zealand’s disciplined new-ball bowlers—Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, and Jacob Duffy—early in the powerplay. With Bay Oval traditionally offering true bounce and quicker outfield conditions compared to the sluggish, rain-hit decks in Auckland and Wellington, Kishan’s ability to capitalize on field restrictions will be vital. Behind him, Virat Kohli remains the bedrock at No. 3, tasked with steering the innings through the middle overs.
Middle Order: Captain Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma at No. 5
With Shreyas Iyer assuming captaincy duties for the Mount Maunganui leg, he will occupy his customary No. 4 position. Iyer showed promising rhythm in the second ODI in Wellington on a tricky pitch, and his leadership experience will be crucial in marshaling a slightly younger bowling group.
At No. 5, Tilak Varma is strongly favored to slot into the playing XI ahead of Ruturaj Gaikwad. While Gaikwad is primarily a top-order specialist, Tilak’s natural middle-order game, left-handed angle, and ability to rotate strike against New Zealand’s spin duo of Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell make him a far more organic fit in KL Rahul’s vacant middle-order spot. Furthermore, Tilak offers handy part-time off-spin if stand-in skipper Iyer needs to squeeze in a few overs during the middle phase.
Naman Dhir is expected to retain his place at No. 6. Although the Hamilton washout denied him a batting opportunity after his inclusion for the third ODI, the team management views him as a high-upside finisher capable of clearing the ropes in the final 10 overs.
All-Rounders: Axar Patel and Auqib Nabi Provide Depth
Axar Patel continues as India’s premier spin-bowling all-rounder at No. 7. Throughout the series, Axar has provided vital control through the middle overs while lengthening the batting lineup. Alongside him at No. 8, Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi is set to get another outing. Nabi earned a debut in the third ODI in Hamilton, only for persistent rain to wash out the contest without a ball bowled. Retraining him allows the management to properly assess his swing bowling and lower-order batting utility in New Zealand conditions.
Pace Attack: Mohammed Siraj to returns to spearhead the seamers
The biggest boost to India’s bowling lineup comes with the return of Mohammed Siraj. Rested during the earlier fixtures to manage his workload, Siraj steps directly into the spot vacated by Anshul Kamboj. Siraj’s ability to extract movement with the new ball and hit hard lengths in the middle overs adds world-class bite to the attack.
He will share new-ball duties with left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, who brings natural swing and sharp death-bowling execution. Completing the four-pronged seam attack is Gurnoor Brar, India’s standout bowler of the series so far. With seven wickets in just two matches—including a career-best 4/30 in Wellington—Brar is expected to play the fourth ODI before the BCCI makes a final call on releasing him to join the Test squad in Wellington.
However, as per a TOI report BCCI might release Gurnoor Brar from India's ODI squad so that the star pacer can reunite with Test camp and help them prepare for the two red-ball outing for the upcoming series against New Zealand, which is scheduled to get underway from November 17.
Full Squads for the 4th ODI
India Squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Auqib Nabi, Yash Thakur
New Zealand Squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Will Young, Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Nick Kelly, Dean Foxcroft, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Hay (wk), Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Matthew Fisher, Kristian Clarke, Brett Randell.
With sunny skies forecast for Mount Maunganui—a welcome change after three rain-marred fixtures—India’s refreshed XI will look to put on a clinical, full-50-over display and clinch the series with a game to spare.
IND vs NZ 4th ODI live streaming details
The match is scheduled to get underway at 7:30 AM IST (3:00 PM local time), with the coin toss taking place 30 minutes prior at 7:00 AM IST. In India, the Sony Sports Network holds the official television broadcast rights for the tour. Cricket fans can catch the live telecast across Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 5, and regional channels. For digital viewers, live streaming will be available exclusively on the SonyLIV app and website with an active subscription.