Heavy Rain in Hamilton Delays Third ODI Between India and New Zealand

Heavy rain and wet grounds forced India and New Zealand players to wait for 15 minutes inside their team buses in Hamilton ahead of the third one-day international on November 10, 2026, as persistent downpours threatened a wash-out at Seddon Park.

Hamilton Weather Disrupts Third ODI

Continuous rain in Hamilton forced ground staff to keep the pitch covered, delaying the toss and the start of play. Meteorological Department forecasts pointed to heavy rain extending across multiple days, creating significant uncertainty over whether a full match could take place.

The BCCI later announced an updated schedule, setting the toss for 3:02 PM local time and the start of play for 3:30 PM local time after the covers finally came off when the rain stopped.

India Holds 2-0 Series Lead

The visiting Indian team entered the third match leading the five-match series 2-0 after securing victories in the opening fixtures under captain Shubman Gill. The first ODI in Auckland saw India chase down a revised target of 143 in 22.4 overs to win by five wickets, aided by Virat Kohli and four wickets from Arshdeep Singh.

In the second ODI in Wellington, India bowled New Zealand out for 134 before rain intervened. Shubman Gill admitted that his top order struggled on a challenging pitch before a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method decision handed India a narrow four-run victory.

Upcoming Squad Changes and Test Preparations

The five-match series carries immediate implications for both teams as New Zealand faces a must-win situation in Hamilton to stay alive. Navarashtra reported that the upcoming Test series, starting November 19, 2026, in Wellington, has prompted team management to rest Jasprit Bumrah. Furthermore, Captain Shubman Gill will miss the final two ODIs to shift his focus entirely to red-ball preparations, leaving Shreyas Iyer in charge for the remainder of the one-day series.