India announces Test squad for New Zealand tour

The BCCI has announced the Indian Test squad for the upcoming two-match series in New Zealand. The series, crucial for India’s World Test Championship aspirations, begins on November 19 in Wellington and concludes on November 27 in Christchurch.

Notable inclusions feature the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep, the latter recovering from a stress fracture. Shubman Gill has been named captain for the Test series. Other squad members include Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, and spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. Anshul Kamboj has been added to the squad, replacing Gurnoor Brar.

Several veteran players from the 2020 tour of New Zealand have been omitted, most notably Mohammed Shami, despite recent performances in the Ranji Trophy. Other players left out of the current selection include Hanuma Vihari and Ishant Sharma.