The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been announced squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand. India Vs New Zealand T20I: Five Players Out From Series. The 16-member squad does not include five players who were part of India’s Asian Games T20 team.
The five-match T20I series will begin on October 22, 2026, at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. The second T20I will also be played at the same venue on October 24. The action will then move to Sky Stadium in Wellington for the third T20I on October 27, followed by the fourth match at Eden Park, Auckland, on October 30.
The final match of the series will be played on November 1 at Seddon Park in Hamilton. All five matches are scheduled to begin at 12:30 PM IST. The players who missed out on selection are Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Thakur, Washington Sundar, Vipraj Nigam and Ravi Bishnoi.
1. Jasprit Bumrah
World No. 1 fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who led India’s bowling attack during the Asian Games, has been rested for the bilateral T20I series against West Indies and New Zealand. As a result, he will not be part of the T20I series against the Kiwis.
2. Yash Thakur
Fast bowler Yash Thakur, who featured in India’s Asian Games squad, has been dropped from the T20I series against New Zealand. He has been replaced by Prince Yadav, who has earned a place in the Indian team.
3. Ravi Bishnoi
Spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who was part of India’s squad for the Asian Games and the T20I series against West Indies, has been dropped from the New Zealand series. Experienced pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been included as his replacement.
4. Washington Sundar
All-rounder Washington Sundar, who impressed with his bowling performance in the Asian Games final against Pakistan, has also been rested for the T20I series against West Indies and New Zealand.
5. Vipraj Nigam
Young leg-spinner Vipraj Nigam, who made his international debut after replacing injured mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy before the start of the 2026 Asian Games, has been left out of the squad for the New Zealand series.
India’s T20I Squad for New Zealand Series:
Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav.
