India release Kuldeep Yadav, add Gurnoor Brar to Test squad for New Zealand series
On November 14, 2026, India released Kuldeep Yadav from their Test squad and added pacer Gurnoor Brar ahead of the two-Test series in New Zealand. The change followed Brar's strong returns in the ongoing ODI series and a costly fourth ODI for Kuldeep.
India made the late alteration after Brar impressed in the limited-overs matches while Kuldeep struggled in the fourth ODI. Brar has been India's most successful bowler in the series, taking nine wickets in three matches at an average of 15.89. Kuldeep, who featured in the original Test squad, has been released to play domestic cricket. Rishabh Pant has joined the Test squad in Wellington ahead of the first match.
Brar began the ODI series with figures of 3/44 in Auckland and produced a career-best 4/30 in Wellington, the latter helping India defend a modest total and secure a four-run win under the DLS method. Those performances have taken his series tally to nine wickets from three appearances at an average of 15.89.
In the fourth ODI at Mount Maunganui Brar recorded 2/69 in 10 overs, dismissing Tim Seifert and Michael Bracewell, but New Zealand posted 333 and won by 244 runs. He will miss the fifth and final ODI and no replacement has been named in the squad.
India's updated Test squad reads: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj and Gurnoor Brar.
Kuldeep played his first match of the ODI series in the fourth game but conceded 73 runs in eight overs without taking a wicket, finishing with an economy rate of 9.12 — the most expensive among India's bowlers in that innings. Will Young and Finn Allen attacked him during that spell, with Young scoring 42 off 24 balls. The figures are a contrast to his overall Test record, but his release has been officially attributed to the need to play domestic cricket. It does not, by itself, indicate a change in India's plans for him in the format.
Kuldeep's Test returns in 2026 stand at four wickets in two Tests at an average of 41.25 and an economy rate of 3.85, with his best figures this year 3/30 against Afghanistan. Brar's Test call-up is his second; he was named in India's squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan earlier this year but did not make his debut, and he has 71 wickets in 22 first-class matches at an average of 26.41. He will now have another chance to push for a place in the playing XI during the New Zealand Tests.
The first Test begins in Wellington on November 19, with the second Test scheduled to start in Christchurch on November 27.
