The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday, October 16, 2026, unveiled India's 16-member Test squad for the challenging two-match series against New Zealand, set to commence next month. The announcement sees the return of star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and dynamic wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, with Shubman Gill entrusted with the captaincy. Anil Kumble Birthday Special: Celebrating India's Legendary Leg-Spinner As Former Captain and Coach Turns 56.

Bumrah, who has been strategically rested from the preceding five-match One Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand, will lead India's pace attack in the red-ball format. This decision aligns with the team management's focus on preserving his fitness for key assignments, including the crucial Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in early 2027.

Pant's Conditional Return

Rishabh Pant's selection, however, comes with a caveat: his participation is contingent on receiving final fitness clearance from the BCCI. The prolific left-hander is currently recovering from a left side strain, an injury sustained during the recent Irani Cup while captaining Rest of India. Pant is expected to regain match fitness by featuring in the third unofficial Test against New Zealand A, scheduled from November 7 to November 10.

Pant has been in remarkable form in Test cricket, recently becoming India's highest run-scorer in the ICC World Test Championship history with 2,948 runs from 42 matches at an average of 42.11. He also made history by becoming the first Indian to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket, achieving the milestone in just 51 matches. In his last 30 Test matches between 2021 and 2026, Pant amassed 2,297 runs at an impressive average of 76.6. Bengaluru Weather Forecast and Rain Chances for India vs West Indies 5th T20I 2026.

Squad and Series Details

Shubman Gill will captain the Test side, with KL Rahul named as his deputy. The squad also features a blend of experience and youth, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohammed Siraj. Youngsters Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, and Sai Sudharsan also find a place in the squad. Dhruv Jurel is included as the second wicketkeeper, while Prasidh Krishna's participation is also subject to fitness.

This two-match Test series is a crucial part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. The full schedule for the Test series is as follows:

India vs New Zealand Test Series 2026 Schedule

The first Test will commence at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, followed by the second and final Test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. IND vs WI 2026: Bhuvneshwar Kumar Called Up as Cover for Arshdeep Singh Ahead of 5th T20I vs West Indies.

Recent History

The last Test series between India and New Zealand in October-November 2024 saw New Zealand clinch a historic 3-0 clean sweep in India, marking India's first home Test series defeat since 2012. India will be keen to reverse that outcome on New Zealand soil.

The return of Bumrah's pace and Pant's explosive batting will be vital for India as they embark on this critical overseas assignment, aiming to solidify their position in the World Test Championship standings. All eyes will be on the fitness reports for Pant and Krishna as the series draws closer.