The BCCI men's senior selection committee, led by interim chief selector Pragyan Ojha, is expected to finalize India's ODI and Test squads for the upcoming tour of New Zealand by next week.
The core challenge for the committee is managing a tight turnaround between the limited-overs leg and the two-Test series, which is part of the 2025-27 WTC cycle. Because the final two ODIs (scheduled for November 13 and 15) finish just days before the first Test begins in Wellington on November 19, the BCCI intends to split responsibilities.
Key Test players—including regular ODI captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah among others—are likely to be released from the 50-over squad ahead of the final two matches. This will allow them to feature in a red-ball shadow match to adjust to local conditions.
According to a TOI report, the delay in announcing the ODI squad stems from the selectors' desire to closely evaluate options in the ongoing India A vs Australia A one-day series in Puducherry.
Several standout performers from this developmental squad are being considered to fill the vacancies in the ODI squad for the last two games.
Despite a 125-run defeat in the first unofficial ODI, players like Rajat Patidar, who hit a resilient 53, and young prospects like Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, and Prabhsimran Singh remain firmly under the selectors' scanner.
Meanwhile, the BCCI on Tuesday (October 6) announced India’s 16-member squad for the upcoming five-T20I series against New Zealand, starting October 22 in Christchurch.
Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s comeback to the national fold after nearly four years headlined the squad. His last appearance for India was in November 2022.
The rest of the T20I squad, led by Shreyas Iyer, is almost identical to the one currently facing West Indies in a five-match series at home.
Selectors have also picked the India A squad, which will play three red-ball matches against New Zealand A ahead. Changes could be made to the group as players are rotated between the various India assignments.
(With TOI Inputs)
