Bumrah will not play the five‑ODI series against New Zealand. Instead, he'll turn up for the third India A match on November 6 and then head straight to Wellington for the Test opener on November 19.
The board says a long tour demands a sharp focus on red‑ball cricket. 'There's no point slogging him out in ODIs and then having to switch gears,' a source told us.
The fast‑bowling ace is fully fit, but the knee injury that kept him out of the Sri Lanka Tests earlier this year still lingers. He’s already begun his red‑ball prep in Ahmedabad and will head to the BCCI CoE later this month.
With the 2026 World Test Championship on the horizon, the timing couldn't be better. A fresh Bumrah will be key not just for New Zealand but also for the five‑Test series against Australia early next year.
Squads for ODIs and Tests will be announced in the coming days as selectors wait on the status of Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna and Rishabh Pant.