India vs New Zealand: Gurnoor Brar added to test squad, Kuldeep Yadav released

Pacer Gurnoor Brar has been added to India’s squad for the forthcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand and subsequently released from the ODI squad ahead of the last and final game of the five-match series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Saturday. Moreover, spinner Kuldeep Yadav will link up with his domestic side, Uttar Pradesh, and play in the upcoming tournaments.

"The Men’s Selection Committee has added Gurnoor Brar to the Indian squad for the two-match Test series against New Zealand, starting November 19, 2026 in Wellington. Kuldeep Yadav will be released from the Test squad in order to play the ongoing domestic cricket back in India.

"Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant - the wicketkeeper-batter - has joined the members of the Test squad in Wellington. Gurnoor will now link-up with the members of the Test squad and will not be available for the fifth ODI. There will be no replacement for the final ODI," the BCCI said in a statement on Saturday.

The Men in Blue had a dreadful outing in the fourth ODI on Friday upon the exit of senior players Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, who left the side to join the red-ball squads after the third game of the 50-game series.

The Kiwis made the best use of the conditions, with Matt Henry shining with a six-wicket haul as the Indian batting unit collapsed to a mere 89 while chasing a target of 334, eventually suffering a 244-run loss, the second-biggest defeat margin for India in ODIs.

After the ODI series concludes on Sunday, the two sides will lock horns in two Tests, starting on Thursday at Basin Reserve in Wellington.

India’s updated Test squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar

India’s updated ODI squad for the fifth ODI: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper, vice-captain), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav.