BCCI Names India T20I Squad for NZ Series, Bhuvneshwar Returns

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the Indian team for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand, and the headline news is the return of veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the national setup. The seamer last turned out for India in November 2022, fittingly against the same opposition, and now gets another crack at the Kiwis after a near four-year gap. CricketBuzz understands that the selectors wanted experienced bowling options for the series, and Bhuvneshwar's domestic and franchise form played a key role in his recall.

The squad was finalised during a selection meeting held on Tuesday at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati. The session was attended by interim chief selector Pragyan Ojha, along with fellow panel members RP Singh, Shiv Sundar Das and Ajay Ratra, while BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia was also present. As CricketBuzz reported earlier, the same meeting also finalised the India A squad that will tour New Zealand separately for a three-match multi-day series starting October 24.

Shreyas Iyer to Lead, Youngsters Get Nod

Shreyas Iyer has been handed the captaincy for the T20I assignment, with Tilak Varma named his deputy. The squad blends youthful energy with experience, featuring names like Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav. The inclusion of uncapped talents alongside seasoned campaigners like Bhuvneshwar signals the selectors' intent to build depth ahead of future assignments.

With the series set to test both fresh legs and old-guard reliability, fans will be keen to see how the combinations shape up on New Zealand soil. Stay with CricketBuzz for more updates on the schedule, venues and build-up to this much-anticipated T20I series.