The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the squad for the three-Test series against New Zealand, beginning on October 16 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Jasprit Bumrah has been named vice-captain, while the only change to the squad from the one that beat Bangladesh is Yash Dayal being left out.
Mohammed Shami continues to unavailable, having not played any cricket since the 2023 World Cup final against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. During a recent interaction, the right-arm seamer underlined that he would not return unless he is fully fit as he refuses to risk himself being injured for a long time again.
Nevertheless, the BCCI has named four travelling reserves in Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav and Prasidh Krishna.
Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel have been retained despite not playing a Test against Bangladesh. Nevertheless, both showcased their class in the Irani Cup, with Sarfaraz scoring a double-hundred for Mumbai. Jurel also scored 97 runs while plying his trade for the Rest of India (ROI).
Team India are currently at the top of the table in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings and will look to consolidate it further against the Black Caps. The Kiwis are coming off a series loss in Sri Lanka, which resulted in Tim Southee stepping down as captain.
Team India squad for New Zealand Tests:
Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep.
Reserves: Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav and Prasidh Krishna
