The other fast bowlers in the squad include Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary – also fresh off a five-for in the Irani Cup – and Auqib Nabi, the highest wicket-taker during the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season with 60 wickets. Nabi, who is also set to feature in the Ranji opener, made his ODI debut in last week’s second ODI against West Indies in Guwahati.
Washington and Manav Suthar are the two frontline spinners in the squad. Suthar, India’s standout bowler during their Test series win in Sri Lanka, is coming off a county stint for Warwickshire, where he picked up 14 wickets in four games.
Yash Rathod is likely to be the back-up batter. He impressed for India A in the second unofficial Test against Australia A recently, hitting a solid 80 to avert defeat on the final day on a turning track.
The squad will leave for New Zealand on October 16, with the first game starting on October 26 in Lincoln. The second game will be played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch before the tour wraps up in Lincoln on November 10.
India’s two Tests – part of the ongoing WTC cycle – will be played between November 19 and December 1 in Wellington and Christchurch respectively. This will be India’s first Test tour in New Zealand since February-March 2020.
India A squad for tour of New Zealand
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Smaran, Rishabh Pant (wk)*, Dhruv Jurel (capt, wk), Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod, Mukesh Kumar
