India selection meeting set for Oct 5-11 to finalise squads ahead of New Zealand tour

India's senior men's selection committee will meet between October 5 and 11 to finalise squads for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, which begins with a T20I series on October 22, according to a Cricbuzz report; the meeting follows Ajit Agarkar's tenure ending on October 4 and is expected to be overseen by former India spinner Pragyan Ojha.

The tour comprises five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests, and the BCCI is preparing to name teams for all three formats. Selectors are expected to pick a strong ODI side for the five-match series, with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma also expected to be part of India’s ODI plans after playing all three matches against West Indies.

The upcoming selection meeting will be the first since Ajit Agarkar’s tenure as chairman of the senior men’s selection committee ended on October 4; the BCCI has not announced a replacement and, until one is appointed, the committee will operate with four members. Pragyan Ojha is expected to oversee the selection meeting, according to the report.

The five-match ODI series has been framed as preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which is scheduled to begin on October 2 next year. The selectors’ choices for the ODIs will therefore be watched for indications of India’s build-up toward that tournament.

India’s two Tests in New Zealand are also being viewed through the lens of the World Test Championship 2027, with the two-match series described as having potential significance for India’s chances of remaining in contention for the WTC 2027 cycle.

On the personnel front, Bengal pacer Mukesh Kumar is in line to make a Test comeback after a strong showing in the Irani Cup, when he took six wickets for the Rest of India in the second innings against Jammu and Kashmir. Akash Deep is also set to be picked for the away Test series, according to the same reporting.

The senior men’s selection committee meeting scheduled between October 5 and 11 is expected to finalise the squads for the tour — covering five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests — ahead of the first T20I on October 22.