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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced India’s T20I squad for the upcoming five-match series against New Zealand. The T20I leg will be the first part of India’s 12-match tour of New Zealand, which also includes five ODIs and two Tests.
India will begin the T20I series on October 22, with the five matches scheduled across Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton. The series will give both teams an opportunity to assess their T20I combinations ahead of the next phase of the international calendar.
BCCI announces India T20I squad for New Zealand tour
Shreyas Iyer will captain India in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, with Tilak Varma serving as his deputy. The squad includes Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Naman Dhir, while Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav are the other pace options alongside Arshdeep Singh.
Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy provide the spin options, completing a squad that also includes Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The experienced seamer's selection is one of the biggest talking points after he went nearly four years without playing for India.
Bhuvneshwar last represented India in November 2022, with his final T20I coming against New Zealand after India's exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final. He has since rebuilt his career in franchise cricket and played a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL title-winning campaigns in 2025 and 2026.
His recent IPL numbers strengthened his case for an international return. Bhuvneshwar took 17 wickets in IPL 2025 before improving that tally to 28 wickets in IPL 2026. Overall, he has played 87 T20Is for India and taken 90 wickets at an average of 23.10 and an economy rate of 6.96.
The 36-year-old's return gives India an experienced new-ball option ahead of the New Zealand tour and the build-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
India’s T20I Squad: Shreyas Iyer [C], Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson [WK], Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan [WK], Tilak Varma [VC], Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav
India tour of New Zealand 2026 T20I series schedule
The five-match T20I series will begin on October 22 at Christchurch, where India and New Zealand will meet in the opening game. The second T20I will also be played in Christchurch on October 24.
The teams will then travel to Wellington for the third T20I on October 27. The fourth match is scheduled for October 30 in Auckland, before the series concludes with the fifth T20I in Hamilton on November 1.
The T20I series will be followed by five ODIs, beginning in Auckland on November 4. India will then play two Tests in Wellington and Christchurch later in the tour.
What happened in the last India vs New Zealand T20I series
India and New Zealand last faced each other in a five-match T20I series in January 2026, with Suryakumar Yadav's side winning the series 4-1. India started the contest with a 48-run victory in Nagpur, where Abhishek Sharma smashed 84 off 35 balls.
India then won the second T20I in Raipur by seven wickets after chasing New Zealand's 208/6 in just 15.2 overs, with Ishan Kishan scoring 76. India sealed the series in Guwahati with an eight-wicket win, led by Abhishek's 68 off 20 balls.
New Zealand avoided a clean sweep by winning the fourth T20I in Visakhapatnam by 50 runs. Tim Seifert scored 62, while Shivam Dube's 65 off 23 balls could not take India over the line. India finished the series strongly in Thiruvananthapuram, winning by 46 runs after Ishan Kishan's maiden T20I century and Arshdeep Singh's five-wicket haul.
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