India Squad For New Zealand Tests: BCCI Keen To Back Injured India Star In 2 Formats - Report

India are set to play five T20Is, as many ODIs, and two Test matches against New Zealand, starting later this month. While the squad for the T20I series, starting on October 22, has already been announced, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to announce the teams for the ODIs and Test matches. A new report has revealed that the BCCI selectors and team management are interested in keeping Harshit Rana in both formats. The fast-bowling all-rounder is currently recovering from an injury. Rana missed India's T20Is against Afghanistan and the Asian Games 2026 due to a rectus femoris (thigh muscle) strain.

"The selectors and team management are keen to have Rana in both formats, and he is seen as a perfect fit as the seam-bowling all-rounder batting at No. 8," a Times of India report quoted a BCCI source as saying.

Rishabh Pant and Prasidh Krishna are the two other players who are also recovering from their respective injuries. As per the report, both players have been given a three-week timeline for recovery as the BCCI does not want to rush them.

"With both Pant and Krishna, the injuries don't look severe at the outset. But the CoE doesn't want to take any chances. That's why both of them were given three-week timelines when they reported to the CoE," the BCCI source said.

While neither Krishna nor Rana has been named in India's T20I squad for the New Zealand series, veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has earned a recall to the national side.

Other fast-bowling options for India would be Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav. All three players are currently part of the Indian team featuring in the ongoing five-match T20I series against the West Indies.

India's T20I squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), 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.

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