India has revealed its 16-player contingent for the upcoming two-match ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 series against New Zealand. Scheduled across Wellington and Christchurch, the tour represents a vital assignment for India to boost its standing in the WTC table ahead of the final. Key Squad Takeaways Jasprit Bumrah Marks Return: Elite fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah returns to the red-ball setup after sitting out the earlier series against Sri Lanka. Holding an average of 19.79 across 52 Tests and having taken 29 wickets in the current WTC cycle, Bumrah’s presence significantly bolsters the fast-bowling unit on seam-friendly surfaces. Kuldeep Yadav Back in Contention: Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav (80 wickets in 19 Tests) has been recalled to the squad, offering a pure attacking spin alternative alongside all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Rishabh Pant Included Subject to Fitness: Rishabh Pant has been selected after suffering an injury during the Irani Trophy that sidelined him from the preceding India A fixtures. His final participation hinges on medical clearance, with Dhruv Jurel named as the backup wicketkeeper-batter. Heavy Seam Reinforcements: Factoring in the pace, bounce, and lateral movement in New Zealand, the selection panel has named a deep pace battery comprising Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Anshul Kamboj, and pace-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. All-Round Depth: The roster features versatile options with spin all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy, ensuring tactical flexibility based on overhead and pitch conditions. World Test Championship Context Following a 1-0 series win over Sri Lanka (one win, one draw), India currently sits in fifth position on the WTC 2025–27 leaderboard with a points percentage of 51.52%. Securing positive results in both Tests will be essential for the side’s ambitions to secure a place in the WTC final. Tour Details India Squad: Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, 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, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj. (Pant’s participation is subject to medical clearance). Test Itinerary: 1st Test: 19–23 November, Wellington 2nd Test: 27 November–1 December, Christchurch Post navigation Barcelona Prepare for Hostile Atmosphere in Istanbul as Galatasaray Test Awaits
