Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi have been added to India's T20I squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand, following the unfortunate sidelining of Washington Sundar due to injury. Sundar suffered a side strain while bowling during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara on January 11. Scans and consultations with medical experts confirmed the injury, necessitating a period of rest and rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
The Men's Selection Committee has called up leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi as Sundar's replacement. Furthermore, Shreyas Iyer has been included in the squad for the first three T20Is as a replacement for the injured Tilak Varma. Varma is still recovering from a lower abdomen surgery.
Iyer's inclusion is expected to bolster the batting lineup, providing stability against both spin and pace, particularly on potentially turning tracks in the New Zealand series. Bishnoi, on the other hand, brings wicket-taking ability in the middle overs, a valuable asset in the T20 format. Bishnoi last played a T20I for India in February 2025 against England in Mumbai. He has 61 wickets in 42 T20Is with an economy rate of 7.35. Iyer last featured in a T20I for India in December 2023 against Australia in Bengaluru. In 51 T20Is, he has scored 1104 runs at an average of 30.66 and a strike rate of 136.12, including eight half-centuries.
The five-match T20I series against New Zealand will begin on January 21 in Nagpur. The series is crucial as it is India's final international assignment before the Men's T20 World Cup in February. The remaining T20I games will be held in Raipur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram.
India's updated T20I squad: 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.
