India selectors to meet this week to finalise four squads for New Zealand tour
The India men's senior selection committee is likely to convene either on Tuesday or Wednesday to finalise the T20I, ODI, Test and India A squads for the upcoming New Zealand tour, with interim chief selector Pragyan Ojha set to chair the meeting. The session was postponed from Monday as the selectors awaited Prasidh Krishna's fitness reports.
The panel will have to balance overlapping assignments: the India A series begins on October 24 and will run concurrently with both the T20Is and ODIs, and the senior side will play five ODIs plus two Tests. The BCCI has prepared visas for around 60 top national cricketers to provide broader logistical cover across the T20I, ODI, Test and India A contingents. Player availability across formats and short overseas turnarounds are the central issues the selectors must resolve.
Selectors are considering a larger Test group of 16 or 17 players to provide cover on a demanding tour, and they are weighing the inclusion of an additional fast bowler. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar and Akash Deep are currently in the mix for the pace battery, while Auqib Nabi, Mukesh Kumar and Anshul Kamboj are being considered for a potential sixth pace slot. All three latter fast bowlers are also in contention for India A selection.
India A are scheduled to play three unofficial Tests between October 24 and November 10 as preparation for the two World Test Championship matches, and those red-ball fixtures form part of the selectors' planning for Test readiness. The overlap between the India A red-ball matches and the first three ODIs—scheduled for November 4, 7 and 10—will force the management to divide players between the two programmes. Some players earmarked for both plans may miss parts of the A series in order to play the ODIs, while Test specialists and one-format players are expected to use the A series for red-ball preparation.
Akash Deep has returned to full fitness and shown pace in domestic cricket, and the selectors have factored his readiness into Test considerations. “The Indian team management had told Rest of India coaching staff that Akash Deep should be handled with care as he is due for national comeback for the New Zealand series,” a BCCI official privy to developments told PTI. The official added: “He is completely fit and bowling at an average speed of 138 to 140 kmph which is an indicator that all is well.”
Wicketkeeping and reserve batting options are also being finalised around the A series and the senior Tests: Rishabh Pant is likely to be the first-choice Test wicketkeeper, while Dhruv Jurel, Devdutt Padikkal and reserve opener Sai Sudharsan could feature in at least one of the three unofficial Tests. The management faces a short turnaround between formats, with the final ODI on November 15 in Tauranga and the first Test beginning in Wellington on November 19, leaving only around three days to train once travel is taken into account.
Squad overlap is expected: as many as seven or eight players could be named in both the ODI and Test squads, with Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Nitish Kumar Reddy listed among those likely to feature in both plans; Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar remain in contention subject to fitness. The T20I selection is anticipated to be the least complex, with several members of the Asian Games gold-medal winning side and players currently involved in the West Indies series likely to retain places.
The selectors are due to finalise the squads before the tour begins with the T20I series on October 22.