Iyer and Bishnoi drafted into India squad for T20Is against New Zealand

India have added right-handed batter Shreyas Iyer and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi to their T20I squad for the upcoming five-game series against New Zealand, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed on Friday.

The five-game series against New Zealand, starting in Nagpur on January 21, is India’s last international assignment before their Men’s T20 World Cup title defence starts on February 7.

While Bishnoi comes as a replacement for the injured off-spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar, Iyer will be there for the first three games due to left-handed batter Tilak Varma, who is recovering from a lower abdomen surgery.

“Washington Sundar underwent scans after reporting an acute onset of discomfort in his lower rib area while bowling during the first ODI against New Zealand at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara, on 11 January.

“This was followed by an in-person consultation with an expert. He has been diagnosed with a side strain and has been advised rest for a few days, following which he will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) for further management of his injury,” said BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia.

Bishnoi last played for India in a T20I match against England in Mumbai in February 2025. In 42 T20Is, Bishnoi has picked 61 wickets at an economy rate of 7.35. Iyer, meanwhile, last played a T20I for India against Australia at Bengaluru in December 2023.

In 51 T20Is, Iyer has scored 1104 runs at an average of 30.66 and a strike-rate of 136.12, including hitting eight fifties. After the opening game in Nagpur, India and New Zealand will play the rest of the T20I games in Raipur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram.

Meanwhile, former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik believes defending champions India remain a formidable force heading into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, citing the team’s depth, attacking approach and strong record in home conditions.

With less than a month to go before the marquee tournament begins, Karthik, along with Nasser Hussain and Ian Bishop, shared insights on Team India’s prospects in the upcoming multi-national tournament, which is set to start on February 7.

“India is a very tough team to beat in most parts of the world, but when it comes to their own backyard, they play some seriously good cricket,” Karthik told Jiostar.

Agencies