Bumrah returns to India's Test squad for New Zealand tour after 11 months; Akash Deep, Kamboj recalled

What happened

The BCCI on 16 October 2026 announced a 16-member Test squad for the two-match series in New Zealand, headlined by Jasprit Bumrah's return to Test cricket. Bumrah has not played a Test match since November 2025, per ESPNcricinfo — a gap of roughly eleven months.

Shubman Gill continues as captain, with KL Rahul as vice-captain. The squad also marks recalls for Akash Deep and Anshul Kamboj, plus the return of Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Sai Sudharsan. ESPNcricinfo and CricTracker reported the squad details; IANS carried the in/out list.

In: Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Sai Sudharsan. Out: Sarfaraz Khan, Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar. CricTracker added that Axar Patel found no place in the side.

Why Bumrah was away — and how he is being managed

The selectors have been carefully managing Bumrah's workload. ESPNcricinfo reports that his bowling load is being calibrated with two major targets in mind: the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home early next year and the ODI World Cup in Africa in October–November 2027.

Bumrah has been training at home in Ahmedabad and will report to the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru before the team departs for New Zealand, per ESPNcricinfo. Akash Deep earned his recall with form and fitness shown in the Irani Cup and the opening round of the Ranji Trophy for Bengal; Kamboj had made his Test debut in Manchester in July 2025, ESPNcricinfo noted.

Fitness cloud over Pant and Prasidh

Two selections come with a condition attached. Rishabh Pant and Prasidh Krishna are in the squad subject to fitness clearance, IANS and ESPNcricinfo report.

• Pant suffered a left side strain during the Irani Cup while captaining the Rest of India in Srinagar. He will miss India A's first two unofficial Tests against New Zealand A and is hoping to feature in the third, at Lincoln from 7–10 November.
• Prasidh picked up a left hamstring injury in the ODI against the West Indies in Guwahati.

Both, in short, are selected on trust — the selectors want them on the plane if their bodies allow.

The tour schedule

Fixture	Dates	Venue
1st Test	19–23 November 2026	Basin Reserve, Wellington
2nd Test	27 November–1 December 2026	Hagley Oval, Christchurch
5th (final) ODI	15 November 2026	Mount Maunganui

The figures are from CricTracker. Note the squad is for the Tests only; the ODI leadership is split — Gill captains the first three ODIs, while Shreyas Iyer takes over for the last two. KL Rahul and Kamboj are available only for the first three ODIs, per ESPNcricinfo.

Gill goes back to Ranji cricket

In a striking show of intent, captain Shubman Gill has made himself available for Punjab's second-round Ranji Trophy match against Chhattisgarh, starting 18 October in New Chandigarh — choosing four days of first-class grind over a rest week. ANI and ESPNcricinfo both reported the move.

Meanwhile, India A will play three unofficial Tests against New Zealand A (24 October–10 November) as tour preparation, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul set to play all three — while Gill misses the Lincoln game (7–10 November) because it clashes with the ODI schedule. One media report (CREX) even claimed Gill will fly to New Zealand a month early with personal net bowlers on 23–24 October — but that is unverified, so treat it as a report, not a fact.

A small disagreement: when was Bumrah's last Test?

The coverage agrees he has been out since November 2025, but the venue framing differs: CricTracker describes it as after India's tour of South Africa in late 2025, while IPL.com frames it as during South Africa's tour of India in late 2025. ESPNcricinfo's precise formulation — "has not played a Test match since November 2025" — is the safest reading. gagariya records both framings without choosing between them.