India have named a 16-man squad for the five-match T20I series in New Zealand, with Shreyas Iyer as captain and Tilak Varma as vice-captain. The BCCI announced it on 6 October 2026.
The headline name is Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The talk around his India comeback ends here: he is back in an India squad for the first time since his last international match in November 2022.
The series starts on 22 October in Christchurch. It opens a 12-match tour that also includes five ODIs and two Tests.
India T20I squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | 22 October | Christchurch |
| 2nd T20I | 24 October | Christchurch |
| 3rd T20I | 27 October | Wellington |
| 4th T20I | 30 October | Auckland |
| 5th T20I | 1 November | Hamilton |
JUST IN: India announce their T20I squad for the tour of New Zealand later this month 🇮🇳 https://t.co/DrZb4qLocT
— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) October 6, 2026
India won the last T20I series between the two sides 4-1 in January 2026.
On paper, this is a reward for 28 IPL wickets. In New Zealand in late October, it is a pick for the conditions, and the reason has nothing to do with pace.
Bhuvneshwar’s last India match came against New Zealand in November 2022. He returns after an IPL 2026 season of 28 wickets in 16 matches for champions RCB. His economy rate of 7.95 was the best among the top five wicket-takers.
Asked whether he deserved another India chance, he did not hesitate.
“Of course.”
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, podcast with Jatin Sapru, September 2026
He had already made peace with his India career before this call came.
“I’m not playing to prove anything, but I’d be happy to play for India again.”
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, podcast with Jatin Sapru, September 2026
One question is still open. Bhuvneshwar was also named India’s captain for the Hong Kong Sixes, which runs from 30 October to 1 November. Those dates fall on the 4th and 5th T20Is. The BCCI has not said how the clash will be handled.
Insider Read
October is the start of the New Zealand season. Pitches still hold grass and moisture, the air is cold, and a new white ball moves for the first four or five overs. Batters coming off flat surfaces play for the ball that comes on. The one that moves late beats them.
Pace only works in that spell if the seam is upright. A fast ball with a scrambled seam gets driven through cover. A slower ball that lands on the seam every time, and moves both ways, forces the batter to commit early. That has always been Bhuvneshwar’s game, and with Bumrah absent, India need it with the new ball.
What Changed From the West Indies Squad
There are two changes from the West Indies T20I squad named on 1 October. Bhuvneshwar and Varun Chakaravarthy come in. Ravi Bishnoi drops out, with no reason given.
Varun returns after a side strain suffered while bowling against Afghanistan on 15 September. It was his second injury in two months, after a hamstring problem in July.
Hardik Pandya misses the entire white-ball tour with a fresh right shin injury, his third setback in four months. He has been advised two weeks of complete rest.
Jasprit Bumrah is not in the squad. Reports say he will play fewer bilateral T20Is to manage his workload before the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Naman Dhir, who replaced Washington Sundar for the West Indies series, keeps his place. Sundar was released to play Ranji Trophy from 11 October ahead of the New Zealand Tests.
The West Indies tour ends on 17 October, five days before the first T20I in Christchurch.
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