Rohit Sharma will continue leading the side, but selectors have also named the vice-captain of the unit, a position assigned to none in the previous series.
India have named their 15-man squad for the three-match Test series against New Zealand starting next week. The team is similar to the one selected for the Bangladesh series in India’s last Test assignment.
Rohit Sharma will continue leading the side, but selectors have also named the vice-captain of the unit, a position assigned to none in the previous series. Jasprit Bumrah will be the deputy of Rohit and will lead in his absence on the field.
Only Yash Dayal has been omitted from the ones in the Bangladesh series, while other players have kept their places. Mohammed Shami has yet to recover completely after surgery earlier this year.
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The New Zealand series was initially seen as a possible return date for the ace pacer, but he hasn’t made the cut. While Akash Deep, who has done immensely well in his young career, will continue to be in the side in his absence, Shami’s unavailability remains a significant issue for India, who are set to tour Australia later in the year.
Harshit Rana and Mayank Yadav among travelling reserves
Apart from the squad, the BCCI has also named four travelling reserves who will remain with the side throughout the series. Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav, and Prasidh Krishna will be in the nets and train with the main players.
Rana, who has made significant progress since IPL 2024, might soon make his India debut in one of the formats, while Nitish and Mayank have already debuted for India in the shortest format. Both were awarded their India caps during the first T20I against Bangladesh in Gwalior and have been impressive since their debuts.
Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna, who recently recovered after his surgery, will be the fourth reserve bowler in the squad. He played in the recently concluded Irani Trophy for the Rest of India but remained underwhelming in both innings.
The three-match Test series against New Zealand will start in Bengaluru on Wednesday (October 16) before the caravan moves to Pune and Mumbai. India are at the top of the World Test Championship standings and will look to solidify their position further.
India’s squad for the three Tests against New Zealand: 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
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