New Delhi, October 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has earned a recall to India’s T20I squad for the five-match series against New Zealand, making a return to the national team after nearly four years as the BCCI announced the Shreyas Iyer-led squad.
The 36-year-old last played for India in the T20 World Cup semi-final against England at the Adelaide Oval in November 2022. His impressive performances for Royal Challengers Bengaluru over the last two Indian Premier League seasons have now helped him earn another opportunity at the international level.
Bhuvneshwar took 45 wickets across the last two IPL editions and played a key role in RCB’s title-winning campaigns. His effectiveness with the new ball and extensive international experience have strengthened his case for a return to the T20I setup.
He had recently been appointed captain of India’s squad for the Hong Kong Sixes but will now miss the tournament following his inclusion in the New Zealand series.
Spinner Varun Chakaravarthy is another notable inclusion after recovering from a side strain that ruled him out following the opening T20I against Afghanistan last month. Ravi Bishnoi, who featured in the previous squad, has been omitted, while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has also been rested as he is expected to feature prominently in the ODI and Test assignments.
India will open the T20I series in Christchurch on October 22, with the second match also scheduled at the venue on October 24. The series will then move to Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton for the remaining three games on October 27, October 30 and November 1, respectively.
The BCCI is yet to announce the squads for the ODI and Test legs, with India scheduled to play five ODIs and two Tests against New Zealand following the T20I series.
The selectors have also named a 15-member India A squad for three multi-day matches against New Zealand A. Dhruv Jurel will lead the side, while Rishabh Pant’s participation is subject to fitness.
India A will play the first match in Lincoln from October 24 to 27, followed by games in Christchurch from October 31 to November 3 and Lincoln from November 7 to 10.
India T20I Squad: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma (Vice-Captain), 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 (Captain, WK), Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, Sai Sudarsan, Yash Rathod, Mukesh Kumar.
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