Experienced pacer makes his T20I comeback as India retain a familiar 16-member squad for the five-match series.
India have announced their 16-member T20I squad for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, with Shreyas Iyer continuing as captain as the team largely sticks with the group currently involved in the series against the West Indies.
The most notable change is the return of experienced fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the T20I setup. The right-arm pacer last played a T20I for India in November 2022 and is now set to make his comeback nearly four years later.
Kumar’s return adds experience to India’s pace attack and could be particularly useful in New Zealand, where conditions traditionally provide assistance to swing bowlers. He joins Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav in the fast-bowling department.
India’s squad features a strong combination of youth and experience. The batting group includes Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Iyer, giving the side several aggressive options at the top and middle order.
The all-rounder department includes Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Naman Dhir. Dhir, who came into the West Indies squad after Washington Sundar’s withdrawal, has retained his place for the New Zealand assignment.
The spin attack will be led by Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav. Ravi Bishnoi has not been included in the 16-member squad, while Sundar also misses out following his earlier withdrawal from the West Indies series.
India will begin the five-match T20I series on October 22 in Christchurch. The second match will also take place in Christchurch on October 24 before the teams move to Wellington for the third fixture on October 27.
The fourth T20I is scheduled for October 30 in Auckland, while Hamilton will host the series finale on November 1. The tour will provide India with an opportunity to assess their squad combinations ahead of future international assignments.
India’s T20I Squad
Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav.