The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has added Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi to India’s squad for the New Zealand T20I series.
Washington Sundar out with injury
Washington Sundar, who was ruled out of the ODI series due to a side injury, won’t take part in the 5-match affair starting January 21. The all-rounder has been advised to rest and will report to the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. Bishnoi will replace him in the side.
“Washington Sundar underwent scans after reporting an acute onset discomfort in his lower rib area while bowling during the first ODI against New Zealand at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara, on 11 January. This was followed by an in-person consultation with an expert. He has been diagnosed with a side strain and has been advised rest for a few days, following which he will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) for further management of his injury,” BCCI said in a release.
Reports had suggested that Washington could be in danger of missing the India vs New Zealand T20I series and even the T20 World Cup 2026. The BCCI has confirmed the seriousness of the all-rounder’s injury, and it’s yet to be seen whether he’ll feature in the ICC event.
Bishnoi, who’ll replace Washington, last played for India against England in February 2025. Although his Indian Premier League (IPL) wasn’t exceptional, the leg-spinner did well for Gujarat in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Shreyas Iyer makes T20I comeback
Tilak Varma, who’s recovering from abdominal surgery and was ruled out of the first three matches, has been replaced by Shreyas. After his IPL exploits for Punjab Kings, the calls for Shreyas’ inclusion were getting louder by the minute. The BCCI has finally rewarded him.
Shreyas last played a T20I on December 3, 2023, and hasn’t earned a call-up since. This leaves the door open for his inclusion in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup as well, that is, if Tilak doesn’t recover.
India’s squad for New Zealand T20I series
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas Iyer (first three T20Is), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ravi Bishnoi
