Star pacer returns in India Test squad for New Zealand

Jasprit Bumrah returns to the India Test squad for the New Zealand series, after having missed out on their last ICC World Test Championship 2025/27 outing against Sri Lanka. Bumrah was initially a part of that squad before being withdrawn.

Bumrah's return is a timely boost to India as the team sits at at the fifth place in the ICC World Test Championship 2025/27 Standings. Two-time finalists at the event would need Bumrah to lead India's bowling attack in conditions which are expected to help pace and bounce.

Besides Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Anshul Kamboj, Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy will be the other pace options in the Test series.

Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar will be among the spin-bowling all-rounders, while left-arm unorthodox spinner Kuldeep Yadav is also a part of the squad. Kuldeep featured in the first Test of the two-game series against Sri Lanka but was dropped for the second Test after an ordinary run in the first game.

Rishabh Pant, who missed out on the India 'A' tour of New Zealand due to an injury he picked up during the domestic Irani Trophy, is also included in the Test squad subject to fitness.

India have also named two squads for the five-game ODI series against New Zealand, with Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Anshul Kamboj, and Prasidh Krishna (subject to fitness) slated to feature in the first three ODIs, after which Tilak Varma, Auqib Nabi, Kumar Kushagra, and Yash Thakur will join the squad in their place. Gill captains India for the first three ODIs, after which Iyer will lead the side for the last two ODIs.

The decision would see the Test specialists leave the ODI side to prepare for the longer format.

India’s ODI squad for the first three ODIs:

Shubman Gill [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer [VC], KL Rahul [WK], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna*, Kuldeep Yadav

Note: *Subject to fitness clearance

India’s ODI squad for fourth and fifth ODIs:

Shreyas Iyer [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav

India’s Test squad:

Shubman Gill [C], Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul [VC], Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant [WK]*, Dhruv Jurel [WK], Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj

Note: *Subject to fitness clearance

ODI Series Schedule:

4 November, First ODI, Auckland

7 November, Second ODI, Wellington

10 November, Third ODI, Hamilton

13 November, Fourth ODI, Mount Maunganui

15 November, Fifth ODI, Mount Maunganui

Test Series Schedule:

First Test, 19-23 November, Wellington

Second Test, 27 November-1 December, Chirstchurch