Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Akash Deep have returned to India’s 16-member squad for the upcoming two-Test series against New Zealand.
Their inclusion, along with Sai Sudharsan’s return after recovering from injuries, has resulted in the exclusion of Sarfaraz Khan, Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi and Gurnoor Brar.
Shubman Gill will continue as captain, with KL Rahul serving as vice-captain. The top-order options include Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal and Sudharsan.
The BCCI has included wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant and fast bowler Prasidh Krishna in the squad, pending final fitness clearance.
Pant is recovering from a left-side strain sustained during the Irani Cup. Prasidh is rehabilitating after suffering a left hamstring injury during an ODI against the West Indies in Guwahati.
Dhruv Jurel retains his place as the second wicketkeeper.
Bumrah will lead the pace attack alongside Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh and Anshul Kamboj, who also returns after touring England in 2025.
Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar provide spin options, while Nitish adds depth as a seam-bowling all-rounder.
The opening Test is scheduled for Wellington on November 19, followed by the second match in Christchurch on November 27. Both matches will begin at 3:30 AM IST.
India currently sit fifth in the 2025–27 World Test Championship standings with a points percentage of 51.52.
They need to win all their remaining matches to qualify for the final, scheduled at The Oval from June 9 to 13.
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