On Friday (October 11), the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) officially announced the 15-member team India squad and four traveling reserves for the upcoming 3-match home test series against New Zealand starting from Wednesday (October 16).
As expected, this is the same squad that recently achieved a stunning 2-0 victory in the red ball series over Bangladesh. However, the selectors excluded Yash Dayal and replaced the pace bowler Akash Deep.
The Indian cricket team’s recent win in the second test match against Bangladesh in Kanpur strengthened its leading position in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. With 98 points and 74.24%, Rohit Sharma’s led side will need to win each of the upcoming eight test matches to increase the percentage to 85.09% and seal their spot in the WTC 2025 finals.
India’s key fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is assigned the vice-captain’s responsibility and is set to guide the team along with the skipper Rohit Sharma.
Shockingly, the selectors didn’t include the experienced pacer Mohammed Shami in the 15 member India squad, who is currently undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
Nitish Kumar and Mayank Yadav, who were part of India’s playing XI in the recently concluded 3-match T20I series against Bangladesh, are categorized under the traveling reserve along with Prasidh Krishna. Whereas Harshit Rana, who was the bench player in the white ball series, finds himself on the same list.
Before we find out the 15-member India squad, schedule, and venue, let’s explore why Shami isn’t a part of the upcoming clash.
Why did Mohammed Shami miss out New Zealand Test Series 2024?
After suffering from an ankle injury, Mohammed Shami underwent surgery and hasn’t played a single match for Team India since the ODI World Cup 2023 final against Australia in November. Earlier, in July 2024, he shared a video of himself on social media trying to convey to the cricket world that he commenced his practice bowling session in the nets.
During the annual award ceremony of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), Shami stated that he needs to take time to return stronger with 100% fitness rather than rushing soon and getting injured once again.
Most importantly, the spin-friendly tracks in Karnataka, Pune, and Mumbai will allow the 34-year-old right-arm medium pacer to recover perfectly and ensure his full availability for the Australian tour.
However, Shami is expected to make a return to India’s test squad for the most awaited Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, and the 5-match test series is scheduled to commence on November 22.
Team India 15-member Squad: New Zealand tour of India, 2024
Here is the list of 15 players included in India’s squad for the 3-match test series against New Zealand:
| S.No | PLAYERS | ROLE |
| 1. | Rohit Sharma (Captain) | Batsman |
| 2. | Jasprit Bumrah (Vice-Captain) | Bowler |
| 3. | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Batsman |
| 4. | Shubman Gill | Batsman |
| 5. | Virat Kohli | Batsman |
| 6. | KL Rahul | Batsman |
| 7. | Sarfaraz Khan | Batsman |
| 8. | Rishabh Pant | Batsman and Wicket Keeper |
| 9. | Dhruv Jurel | Batsman and Wicket Keeper |
| 10. | Ravichandran Ashwin | All-Rounder |
| 11. | Ravindra Jadeja | All-Rounder |
| 12. | Axar Patel | All-Rounder |
| 13. | Kuldeep Yadav | Bowler |
| 14. | Mohammed Siraj | Bowler |
| 15. | Akash Deep | Bowler |
Here are the player names who are in Travelling Reserves:
| PLAYERS | ROLE |
| Harshit Rana | Bowler |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | All-Rounder |
| Mayank Yadav | Bowler |
| Prasidh Krishna | Bowler |
Schedule and Venues: New Zealand tour of India, 2024
The schedule and venue for India vs New Zealand test series from October 16 to November 5 are tabulated below in detail:
| EVENT | DATE | DAY | TIME | VENUE |
| 1st Test India vs. New Zealand | Starts on 16th October 2024. Completes on 20th October 2024. | Wednesday to Sunday | 9:30 AM LOCAL | Mangalam Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru (Karnataka State Cricket Association Stadium) |
| 2nd Test India vs. New Zealand | Starts on 24th October 2024. Completes on 28th October 2024. | Thursday to Monday | 9:30 AM LOCAL | Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune |
| 3rd Test India vs. New Zealand | Starts on 1st November 2024. Completes on 5th November 2024. | Friday to Tuesday | 9:30 AM LOCAL | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. |
Overall Facts:
Having an impressive record of 18 consecutive test series wins at home that started with a whitewash against Australia in 2013, Team India would aim to extend its winning streak by triumphing over New Zealand in the forthcoming three-match test series. It was in 2012 when India lost its last test series at home to England under MS Dhoni’s captaincy.
However, New Zealand’s poor performance in recent times not only made them lose the 2-match test series against Sri Lanka with a clean sweep but also dropped to 6th position in the WTC 2023-25 points table. In addition, Kane Williamson’s groin injury has been a worrying factor for the visiting side, which is an opportunity that the hosts will try to make use of to maintain their domination at home in the entire series.
Ultimately, the series against New Zealand provides a valuable opportunity for several Indian players in the squad who are on the verge of accomplishing crucial milestones in red-ball cricket. It includes popular names such as Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant who have higher chances of creating a sensation by focusing on their personal records that could open a new chapter in their test cricket career.