By Manoj 
India have included experienced fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar back in their T20I squad for the five-match series against New Zealand. This is veteran seamer’s first time back in the national setup post a stellar IPL 2026 season, with spinner Varun Chakravarthy also returning to the mix after recovering from injury.
Bhuvneshwar’s last appearance for India came in a T20I against New Zealand in November 2022. His comeback comes soon after an incredible season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he played a key role in the franchise defending its IPL title. In the tournament, the 36-year-old took 28 wickets in 16 matches, finishing one wicket behind Pink Cap winner Kagiso Rabada.
He especially made an impact with his performances in the Knockout stage of IPL 2026. Bhuvneshwar is his second four-wicket haul (2/8 & 2/30) combined in the Qualifier 1 and final against Gujarat Titans. In IPL 2025, he also picked up 17 wickets.
He is an experienced hand in the international T20 cricket scene. He has played 87 T20Is for India, where he has picked up 90 wickets at an average of 23.10 with an economy rate of 6.96. He is also the only bowler to have won the IPL Purple Cap in two successive seasons.
In New Zealand, Bhuvneshwar would be one of the oldest specialist bowlers for India in men’s international cricket should he be picked in the playing XI.
After an injury layoff, Varun Chakravarthy has also been included in the squad after recuperating from a side strain that he suffered during India’s T20I series against Afghanistan back in September. This injury saw him miss the T20I against Japan and then the Asian Games.
Elsewhere, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi is left out of the squad after playing in India’s current T20I series against West Indies.
Specifically, the main concern is the unavailability of all-rounder Hardik Pandya after a new shin injury sustained in late September as well as fast bowler Harshit Rana’s recovery from an injury picked up during rehabilitation. The rest of the squad is unchanged from the team currently battling it out in a T20I series with Caribbean opponents West Indies.
India squad for New Zealand T20Is
Shreyas Iyer (capt.), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav
