India vs New Zealand T20 Squad 2026: Iyer Leads 16-Man Side, ODI and Test Squads Still Awaited
BCCI named India's 16-member T20I squad for the New Zealand tour on 6 October 2026, with Shreyas Iyer as captain. ODI and Test squads are still pending as Pragyan Ojha takes interim charge of selectors.
12 Oct 2026, 22:28 UTC
The search for the ind vs nz t20 squad finally has an official answer. In a media advisory dated 6 October 2026, the BCCI named a 16-member T20I group for the five-match tour of New Zealand, handing the captaincy to Shreyas Iyer and the vice-captaincy to Tilak Varma. The series begins on 22 October 2026 in Christchurch.
Who made the India T20I squad — and what the picks tell us
The batting core combines Iyer and Varma with opener Abhishek Sharma and the uncapped teenage prospect Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Two wicketkeepers travel — Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan — giving the think-tank flexibility at the top of the order. The all-round department features Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Naman Dhir, while the attack pairs the experience of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh with the pace of Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav. Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav are the two specialist spinners. The full list appears in the BCCI press release.
The notable theme is youth: Sooryavanshi, Dhir, Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav are all early in their international journeys, suggesting the selectors are using this tour to widen the T20 player pool.
Match dates and venues
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | Thu 22 Oct 2026 | Christchurch |
| 2nd T20I | Sat 24 Oct 2026 | Christchurch |
| 3rd T20I | Tue 27 Oct 2026 | Wellington |
| 4th T20I | Fri 30 Oct 2026 | Auckland |
| 5th T20I | Sun 1 Nov 2026 | Hamilton |
Why 'ind vs nz odi squad' searches lead nowhere yet
Fans hunting for the ind vs nz odi squad should know that no such list exists as of mid-October 2026. The BCCI advisory states plainly that the squads for the ODI and Test series on the same tour will be announced later. Any ODI squad circulating online before that announcement is speculation, not an official selection.
India A shadow tour
Alongside the senior T20 side, an India A squad will play three multi-day matches against New Zealand A between 24 October and 10 November at Lincoln and Christchurch. The group includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal and captain-wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel. Rishabh Pant is named as a wicketkeeper but his participation is marked subject to fitness, so his involvement is not guaranteed.
Selection committee in transition: Agarkar out, Ojha interim
The squad announcement landed during a change at the top of the selection panel. Ajit Agarkar's tenure as chairman of the men's selection committee ended in early October 2026, after he took charge in July 2023 — a period the ICC notes included two T20 World Cup titles (2024 and 2026) and the 2025 Champions Trophy. The BCCI publicly thanked Agarkar on 7 October, a day after inviting applications for his successor, with head coach Gautam Gambhir also paying tribute, as The Hindu reported. Pragyan Ojha is currently chairing the four-member committee on an interim basis. Notably, the sources do not specify who chaired the meeting that picked this New Zealand squad, so it should not be credited solely to either man.
Key takeaways
- The T20I squad is confirmed; ODI and Test squads will be announced later by the BCCI.
- Shreyas Iyer captains the side, with Tilak Varma as his deputy.
- The five T20Is run from 22 October to 1 November 2026 across four New Zealand cities.
- Pragyan Ojha holds interim charge of the selection committee after Agarkar's exit.
- Rishabh Pant's India A role depends on fitness clearance.
Sources & further reading
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