Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has named his current ODI World XI ahead of India's five-match series against New Zealand. The former right-handed batter picked six Indian players in his XI but excluded players from reigning ODI world champions Australia and Pakistan.

Notably, the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia is around a year away. The Men in Blue, led by Shubman Gill, will face New Zealand in five ODIs from November 4 to 15, with matches scheduled across Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton and Mount Maunganui.

Cheteshwar Pujara Names Current ODI World XI

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo's YouTube channel, Cheteshwar Pujara picked an all-Indian top three featuring Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Gill leads the ODI run-scoring charts for 2026 with 895 runs at an average of nearly 112.

Pujara chose England batter Joe Root at No. 4. Root has scored 680 runs at an average of 85 this year, placing him second on the ODI run charts.

Pujara also picked KL Rahul and West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Shai Hope, who averaged 68.14 in 10 ODIs this year. He completed his top seven with South African all-rounder Marco Jansen, whose ability to contribute with both bat and ball adds balance to the lineup.

Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah Lead Pujara's ODI World XI Bowling Attack

Cheteshwar Pujara included Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah among his four bowlers despite their limited appearances in ODIs this year. Kuldeep has played five of India's 10 ODIs in 2026, while Bumrah has featured in only two.

Pujara completed his attack with New Zealand's Matt Henry and West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales. Henry has not played an ODI this year but remains a key new-ball option for New Zealand. Seales, meanwhile, took four wickets in three matches during the recent ODI series in India.

Cheteshwar Pujara's Current ODI World XI:

Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Shai Hope, KL Rahul, Marco Jansen, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Matt Henry and Jayden Seales.

Who makes Cheteshwar Pujara's current World ODI XI? 👁️‍🗨️ https://t.co/4VAQZHafDI

— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) October 26, 2026

Shreyas Iyer Misses Out on Cheteshwar Pujara's Current ODI World XI

One of the biggest talking points in Cheteshwar Pujara's selection is the omission of Shreyas Iyer. The Indian batter has scored 3,136 runs in 76 innings at an average of 45.44 and a strike rate of 97.84, including five centuries and 24 half-centuries. He also became the eighth-fastest batter to reach 3,000 ODI runs.

Iyer was among India’s leading batters at the 2023 ODI World Cup, finishing as the team’s third-highest run-scorer. He scored 530 runs in 11 innings at an average of 66.25 and a strike rate of 113.25, becoming the first Indian middle-order batter to score more than 500 runs in a single edition of the tournament.

However, Iyer’s ODI returns in 2026 have been less consistent. He has scored 219 runs in nine ODIs at an average of 27.38 and a strike rate of 84.56, including one half-century. During the three-match series against England, he scored 35 off 53 balls, 66 off 71 balls and a three-ball duck.