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India announce T20I squad for New Zealand tour: Veteran quick returns after four years

India have named their 16-man T20I squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand, with veteran fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar making a highly anticipated return after a four-year absence. The 34-year-old, who was pivotal in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s consecutive IPL title victories, last featured in a T20I for India in 2022 during a series in New Zealand, where he took a single wicket across two matches as India secured a 1-0 series win.

Alongside Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy is back in the fold after missing recent assignments due to a side strain, while Naman Dhir retains his spot after replacing Prasidh Krishna in the ongoing West Indies series. The squad, led by Shreyas Iyer, includes a mix of experienced campaigners and young talents, with the series set to begin on October 22 and conclude with five T20Is before transitioning into a five-match ODI series starting November 4.

India A’s squad for the lead-up unofficial Test series has also been announced, with Dhruv Jurel named as captain and key players like Washington Sundar, Risbh Pant (subject to fitness), and Ravichandran Smaran included for the three-match Test series against New Zealand A, beginning October 24.

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