Kumar Kushagra earns maiden call-up as India name ODI and Test squads for New Zealand tour

Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra has earned his maiden India call-up as he has been named in the team for the fourth and fifth ODIs against New Zealand. India have named their first-choice team for the first three ODIs, after which several of their key players, including skipper Shubman Gill, will prepare for the two-match Test series and won't feature in the final two ODIs. Vice-captain Shreyas Iyer will lead the team in Gill's absence.

There is only a three-day gap between the fifth ODI and the opening Test of the series. As a result, players such as Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Anshul Kamboj, and Prasidh Krishna, among others, have not been selected for the final two ODIs.

Ravindra Jadeja has not been included in the ODI squad. He was part of the recently concluded ODI series against the West Indies at home, as Axar Patel was away with the T20I squad at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, and was unavailable for selection. Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan returns to the ODI squad after missing the ODI series against West Indies. India have also added Vidarbha pacer Yash Thakur to the squad for the fourth and fifth ODIs. The 27-year-old is yet to make his debut in the 50-over format.

Prasidh Krishna has been named in the squad for the first three ODIs. However, his participation remains subject to fitness clearance. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who is recovering from a side strain, has also been named in the Test squad, but his participation is likewise dependent on fitness clearance.

Jasprit Bumrah has been named only in the Test squad, indicating that the team management is keen to manage his workload. Right-arm pacer Akash Deep returns to the Test setup after a lengthy injury layoff. He impressed in the recently concluded Irani Trophy, claiming figures of 3/43 and 3/25 against the reigning Ranji Trophy champions, Jammu & Kashmir.

India’s ODI squad for the first three ODIs:

Shubman Gill [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer [VC], KL Rahul [WK], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna*, Kuldeep Yadav

India’s ODI squad for fourth and fifth ODIs:

Shreyas Iyer [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav

Note: *Subject to fitness clearance

India’s Test squad:

Shubman Gill [C], Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul [VC], Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant [WK]*, Dhruv Jurel [WK], Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj

Note: *Subject to fitness clearance

New Zealand vs India ODIs 2026

New Zealand vs India Tests 2026