New Delhi: Senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has earned a recall to India’s T20I squad for the five-match series against New Zealand, marking his return to the national side after nearly four years, as the BCCI announced the Shreyas Iyer-led team on Tuesday.
The 36-year-old last represented India in the T20 World Cup semi-final against England at the Adelaide Oval in November 2022. A strong run in the Indian Premier League over the last two seasons has helped the experienced seamer force his way back into the national setup.
Bhuvneshwar claimed 45 wickets across the last two IPL editions for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and played an important role in the franchise’s title-winning campaigns. His consistency with the new ball and wealth of experience have now earned him another opportunity in India’s T20I setup.
The pacer had recently been named captain of India’s squad for the Hong Kong Sixes, but his inclusion in the T20I squad means he will miss the tournament.
Apart from Bhuvneshwar’s return, the other notable change is the inclusion of Varun Chakaravarthy, who returns after recovering from the side strain that ruled him out following the first T20I against Afghanistan last month. Ravi Bishnoi, who was part of the previous squad, has been left out. India’s prime pacer Jasprit Bumrah is also not included in the team, as he is expected to play a major role in the ODI and Test assignment.
India will begin the five-match T20I series against New Zealand in Christchurch on October 22, with the second match also scheduled at the same venue on October 24. The teams will then move to Wellington for the third T20I on October 27, followed by matches in Auckland on October 30 and Hamilton on November 1.
The BCCI is yet to announce the squads for the ODI and Test legs of the tour. India are scheduled to play five ODIs and two Tests against New Zealand after the T20I series.
Meanwhile, the selectors have also picked a 15-member India A squad for three multi-day matches against New Zealand A, providing several players with an opportunity to gain valuable red-ball exposure in conditions similar to those they could encounter during the Test leg. Dhruv Jurel has been named captain, while Rishabh Pant’s availability is subject to fitness.
India A will play their first multi-day match against New Zealand A in Lincoln from October 24 to 27. The second match will be held in Christchurch from October 31 to November 3, while the third is scheduled in Lincoln from November 7 to 10.
Squads:
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 A squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Smaran, Rishabh Pant* [WK], Dhruv Jurel [C] [WK], Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, Sai Sudarsan, Yash Rathod, Mukesh Kumar
(IANS)
