India has finalized its squad for the upcoming two-Test series against New Zealand, highlighted by the return of spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. After remaining sidelined from the longest format throughout 2025, Bumrah makes his comeback to the Test setup, having last appeared in the whites during the late 2025 tour of South Africa. The 16-man group will be led by captain Shubman Gill, with KL Rahul serving as his deputy and opening partner alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal.
The squad features notable recalls for seamers Anshul Kamboj and Akash Deep. Kamboj returns following his appearance in the 2025 England series, while Akash Deep is back in the mix after recovering from a lower-back injury that sidelined him for eight months. Akash Deep, who also last featured in the 2025 England tour, recently demonstrated his fitness in the Irani Cup. Meanwhile, the selectors have opted against including Jammu and Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi, who had previously covered for Bumrah during the Sri Lanka series but remains without a Test cap. Kamboj, who played one Test on the England tour in 2025 and was dropped, has been recalled.
Rishabh Pant has been included in the squad, though his participation remains subject to fitness clearance following a side strain sustained during the Irani Cup. In the middle order, Devdutt Padikkal retains his spot after impressive performances in Sri Lanka, while Sai Sudharsan returns to the side after missing the previous tour due to a toe injury. Dhruv Jurel remains the backup wicketkeeper and provides additional depth for the middle order. The spin bowling department is composed of Washington Sundar, who recovers from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the Sri Lanka Tests, joined by Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja. There is no place for Axar Patel or Manav Suthar in this rotation. Who scored two centuries at No.3 on the Sri Lanka tour, retains his place while Sai Sudharsan, another contender for the same spot, comes in after missing the Sri Lanka tour with a toe injury, devdutt Padikkal.
The series is set to commence with the first Test in Wellington on 19 November. This schedule presents a significant logistical challenge, as the Test begins just three days after the conclusion of the fifth and final ODI in Mount Maunganui. To manage this tight turnaround, the BCCI has appointed a separate squad for the final two ODIs. Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has also earned a recall to the Test squad for the first time since the South Africa series, is among the few players slated to feature in both the white-ball and red-ball squads, alongside Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav. Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj retain their spots.
