07 October,2026 11:54 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Pic: File Pic)
Team India is set to lock horns with New Zealand in the five-match T20I series. The first clash is scheduled to be played on October 22 at the Hagley Park South in the central city of Christchurch.
Ahead of the series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named star pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the squad. The pacer will don the Indian colours after nearly four years. Considering his impressive performances in the concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, the pacer has earned a place in the squad.
So far, the Uttar Pradesh-born cricketer has made 87 appearances for the "Men in Blue" in the shortest format of the game. He has also bagged 90 wickets, with his best bowling figures being five wickets for four runs.
Bhuvneshwar has also registered three four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls to his name.
On the other hand, New Zealand's star all-rounder Rachin Ravindra is in doubt for the T20I series against Team India. The left-handed batsman has dislocated his shoulder during a promotional shoot.
The cricketer sustained an injury in an attempt to take a diving catch during a promotional shoot in Auckland on September 16.
It will be interesting to see if the "Men in Blue" manage to dominate the "Black Caps" in the series.
The second T20I match will be played on October 24 at the same venue. The third T20I match is scheduled to be played on October 27 at the Wellington Regional Stadium in Wellington, followed by the fourth game on October 30 at the Eden Park in Auckland. The Seddon Park in Hamilton will host the fifth clash on November 1.
India: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma (VC), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Matt Henry, Glenn Phillips, Zak Foulkes, Michael Bracewell, Adam Milne, Mitchell Santner (C), Bevon Jacobs, Jacob Duffy, Daryl Mitchell, Tim Seifert, Mark Chapman, Kyle Jamieson, Devon Conway, Nathan Smith, Lockie Ferguson.
