India have adjusted their Test squad ahead of the two-match series against New Zealand, releasing left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav and drafting in fast bowler Gurnoor Brar.
The alteration arrives as the team prepares for the red-ball assignment commencing on November 19 in Wellington, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirming the move on Saturday.
Brar’s strong showings in the ongoing ODI series have caught the selectors’ attention, prompting his elevation to the Test setup. The tall pacer adds further depth to the pace battery.
Yadav, conversely, has been relieved of Test duties and is set to return home for domestic commitments. The decision reflects a strategic preference for additional pace options in New Zealand, where conditions are anticipated to favour fast bowlers with bounce and seam movement. Yadav is expected to turn out for Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The pace attack now boasts Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, and the newly added Brar. Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has arrived in Wellington and begun training with the squad as he progresses in his return from injury.
The series opens on November 19, followed by the second Test in Christchurch starting November 27. Both matches form part of the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship cycle.
India’s Updated 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, Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar.
India’s Updated Squad For Fifth ODI
Shreyas Iyer (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (WK, VC), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (WK), Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav.