Bumrah returns to the Test XI as India names a 15‑man squad for the NZ series. The Board of Control for Cricket in India released the list on Friday, and the fast bowler’s comeback comes after a late‑season injury.
Bumrah, who’d been named for the Sri Lanka tour but pulled out because of a stress fracture, was welcomed back to the squad after an impressive recovery. His presence is a sharp edge for the attack.
Rishabh Pant, still nursing a domestic injury, is on the squad list on a fitness‑by‑fitness basis— the team is hoping he can stay fit for the tour. Fast‑ball men Akash Deep, fresh from England after a stress fracture, and Anshul Kamboj, who was dropped after a single England outing, add depth.
Kuldeep Yadav keeps his spot, showing India wants to keep spin as a pillar of its red‑ball strategy. The first Test kicks off in Wellington on November 19, just four days after the five‑match ODI series ends, and the new XI will face a New Zealand side eager to test its pace battery.
The ODI squad for the first three games still features Shubman Gill at the helm, with Rohit and Kohli in the middle; the latter half of the series sees Iyer take the reins.