India to Split Coaching Staff After 3rd NZ ODI; Gambhir to Stay With Team, Kotak and Morkel to Join Test Squad

Sitanshu Kotak said, "Gautam will have to stay here. Sairaj will probably be here as well. I, Morne, and some other staff will go to Wellington. However, the plan could still change. We'll just try to see how his fitness and practice are. We'll prepare as much as the conditions allow. Gautam will make the final decision." Kotak said that three fast bowlers from India's ODI team-probably Gurnur Brar, Aaqib Nabi, and Arshdeep Singh-will remain in New Zealand as net bowlers and reserves to support the Test team.

?️ ?? ????? ????? ????? ????? ???????? ? Batting Coach Sitanshu Kotak on the importance of calm and clutch @klrahul in #TeamIndia's ODI set-up ? #NZvIND https://t.co/JnkKxbl6GM — BCCI (@BCCI) November 9, 2026

If the Indian team follows this plan, Kotak and Morkel will leave for Wellington on February 11th with captain Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, fast bowlers Anshul Kamboj and Mohammed Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav. These players are not part of the fourth and fifth ODIs. Gambhir and Bahutule, along with Brar, Nabi, and Arshdeep, will travel from Mount Maunganui on February 16th, the day after the fifth ODI. As for his role in the Test camp, Kotak said he would try to simulate the possible situations batsmen might face during Test matches.

On his role in the Test camp, Kotak said, "I'm thinking in phases. If you lose the toss and bat first, the requirements will be different. If you bat second, it will be different. The third and fourth innings will be different. If we play on turning tracks in India, there are phases. There are different challenges here. We have to prepare accordingly. I'll assess the conditions based on winning or losing the toss, how the wicket is behaving, the weather, how their bowlers are approaching and how long their spells are being bowled."