Mumbai, India – Akash Deep’s return to India’s Test squad after an eight-month injury layoff is among the notable developments in the selection committee’s choices for the upcoming series against New Zealand, with the team management appearing to prioritise the World Test Championship (WTC) campaign over the immediate ODI World Cup build-up. The Bengal fast bowler has regained his place after proving his fitness and form in the Irani Cup and the opening round of the Ranji Trophy. He joins Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna in a 16-member squad for the Test series, with Rishabh Pant’s selection subject to fitness.
India’s ODI and Test squads announced on Friday also underline a clear division of priorities. Shubman Gill, K.L. Rahul, Prasidh, and Anshul Kamboj will be available for the first three ODIs but are set to be replaced for the final two matches as they prepare for the Tests. Tilak Varma, Kumar Kushagra, Yash Thakur, and Auqib Nabi have been named as their replacements. Gill will captain India in the first three ODIs, with Shreyas Iyer as vice-captain. Shreyas will be at the helm for the fourth and fifth matches, while Ishan Kishan will be his deputy.
The decision to manage the workload of key players comes at a critical juncture in India’s WTC campaign. Gill’s men need to win at least six of their remaining seven Tests to remain in contention for a place in the WTC final, making the two-Test series a top priority for the team management and selectors. Prasidh and Pant are expected to prove their fitness at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence next week.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, meanwhile, has been left out of the ODI squad despite having warmed the bench in the format for most of the year. The Test opener will feature in all three four-day matches for India-A in New Zealand, giving him an extended opportunity to acclimatise to conditions ahead of the Tests. Besides Akash, Bumrah, Washington Sundar, Sai Sudharsan, and Anshul Kamboj have come into the Test squad, while Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, and Sarfaraz Khan have been left out. Gurnoor’s omission is understood to be part of a longer-term plan, with the selectors keen for the fast bowler to concentrate on his development in the ODI format ahead of next year’s World Cup.
