BCCI announces India’s squad for New Zealand Test series

India has announced its 15-member squad for the three-match Test series against New Zealand, which begins on October 16, 2024, as part of the ICC World Test Championship. The series will be hosted across three venues: Bengaluru, Pune, and Mumbai. Rohit Sharma will continue to lead the team, with Jasprit Bumrah named as vice-captain. The squad remains largely unchanged from the recent series against Bangladesh, reflecting confidence in the current lineup.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had a stellar performance in the Bangladesh series, will partner with Shubman Gill at the top of the order, while veterans like Virat Kohli and KL Rahul form the backbone of the batting. Sarfaraz Khan and wicketkeepers Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel retain their spots. The spin attack will be spearheaded by Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel, while Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep handle the pace duties​.

Ashwin’s recent form has been impressive, both with the bat and ball. He was India’s highest wicket-taker in the Bangladesh series and remains crucial for the upcoming New Zealand series. Yashasvi Jaiswal has also been pivotal, currently second on the World Test Championship 2023-25 run-scorers list​.

The Test series is critical for India’s chances in the World Test Championship, as they aim to consolidate their top position. New Zealand, on the other hand, will be looking to bounce back after an underwhelming WTC campaign.

India Squad: 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, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep