The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand. The first match of the series will begin on October 16. Rohit Sharma will continue to lead the team, while star pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been appointed vice-captain.
The only change from India’s previous Test squad against Bangladesh is the exclusion of left-arm fast bowler Yash Dayal. The rest of the squad remains unchanged. Additionally, the BCCI has named four reserve players for the series.
The three-match series will be played at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, and Wankhede Stadium. India enters this series on the back of a dominant 2-0 win against Bangladesh in their last home Test series. Rohit Sharma and his team will aim to maintain their winning momentum, with the World Test Championship (WTC) final approaching. A 3-0 series win against New Zealand would provide a significant confidence boost ahead of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2024-2025.
New Zealand has also announced their squad for the tour. Tom Latham will captain the Test team for the first time as a full-time skipper. Latham had previously led the team in nine Test matches between 2020 and 2022 as a stand-in captain. Tim Southee stepped down as captain following New Zealand’s 0-2 loss to Sri Lanka in their recent Test series.
Kane Williamson will miss the series due to a groin injury, and uncapped player Mark Chapman has been added to the squad as cover.
India’s Squad for New Zealand Test Series:
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
Travelling Reserves:
Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav, Prasidh Krishna
New Zealand’s Test Squad for India Series:
Tom Latham (C), Tom Blundell (WK), Michael Bracewell (1st Test only), Mark Chapman (cover), Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi (2nd & 3rd Test only), Tim Southee, Kane Williamson, Will Young
India vs New Zealand Test Series Schedule:
- 1st Test: 16 Oct 2024, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium (Bengaluru)
- 2nd Test: 24 Oct 2024, Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium (Pune)
- 3rd Test: 01 Nov 2024, Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai)
