Shami Sidelined Again! Akash Deep and Kamboj Return for India's New Zealand Tour
BCCI announces India's ODI and Test squads for New Zealand tour. Mohammed Shami remains sidelined while Akash Deep and Anshul Kamboj earn recalls.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the squads for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, and the biggest talking point is the continued absence of veteran pacer Mohammed Shami. Despite a strong run in domestic cricket, the 36-year-old has once again been left out of both the ODI and Test squads, leaving fans and critics questioning the selection strategy.
The Shami Conundrum: Domestic Dominance vs. National Selection
Mohammed Shami's last appearance for the national side dates back to March of last year during the ICC Champions Trophy final against New Zealand, a tournament India won. Shami was instrumental in that victory, claiming nine wickets across five innings with an average of 25.88.
Since then, the Bengal speedster has been prolific in the domestic circuit. He played a pivotal role in helping the East Zone secure the Duleep Trophy 2026 title, taking seven wickets in three matches. His form in the Ranji Trophy has been even more imposing; during the 2025-26 season, he tore through batting lineups to claim 37 wickets in seven matches at a stunning average of 16.72. Even in the 2026-27 season's opening match, he remained lethal with figures of 4/30 and 1/29.
However, his outings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) were more modest. In 2025, he took six wickets in nine games for Sunrisers Hyderabad, and in 2026, he managed 12 wickets in 13 matches for the Lucknow Super Giants. Despite his red-ball dominance, the selectors have opted for other options for the New Zealand series.
Recalls and Resurgences
While Shami misses out, other familiar faces are returning to the fold. Akash Deep, Shami's Bengal teammate, has been named in the Test squad. Deep has been away from the international scene since August last year's Test against England at The Oval, having spent nearly eight months sidelined due to a lower-back injury.
Anshul Kamboj also earns a recall to both the ODI and Test squads. Kamboj previously featured in a single Test during India's 2025 tour of England before being dropped from the side.
Adding to the nostalgia is the return of 36-year-old Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been selected for the T20I series preceding the ODIs and Tests. This marks Bhuvneshwar's first international call-up since the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final. His recall is fueled by a massive resurgence with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), where he took 45 wickets in 31 matches, helping the franchise secure back-to-back IPL titles in 2025 and 2026.
Tour Schedule and Squad Details
India will first engage in a five-match ODI series from November 4 to November 15, followed by a two-match Test series starting November 19.
India's ODI Squads
First three ODIs: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan (WK), Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna*, and Kuldeep Yadav.
Fourth and fifth ODIs: Shreyas Iyer (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (WK, VC), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (WK), Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, and Kuldeep Yadav.
India's Test Squad
Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (VC), Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant (WK - subject to fitness clearance), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohammed Siraj.