Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi have been called up to India’s squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, replacing the injured duo of Tilak Varma and Washington Sundar. Washington sustained a side strain after experiencing discomfort in his lower rib area while bowling in the first ODI against New Zealand on January 11. Following scans and diagnosis, he will report to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence for rehabilitation after a brief rest period.
Meanwhile, Tilak Varma underwent testicular surgery in Rajkot and has been ruled out of at least the first three T20Is. Shreyas Iyer has been added only for the opening three matches, keeping the door open for Tilak’s potential return later in the series.
Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi T20I Statistics
Shreyas Iyer – T20I Batting Record
| Matches | Innings | NO | Runs | HS | Average | Balls Faced | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | Catches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 47 | 11 | 1104 | 74* | 30.66 | 811 | 136.12 | 0 | 8 | 16 |
Ravi Bishnoi – T20I Bowling Record
| Matches | Innings | Balls | Runs | Wickets | BBI | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | 4w | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 42 | 964 | 1182 | 61 | 4/13 | 19.37 | 7.35 | 15.82 | 0 | 0 |
Shreyas Iyer returns to India’s T20I setup after a hiatus of more than a year, having last featured against Australia in December 2023. The middle-order batsman has been out of T20I contention since then and hasn’t played any T20 cricket since the IPL final last year. He missed the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy while recovering from a spleen injury but made his comeback through the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai and is currently part of the ODI squad.
Ravi Bishnoi, the promising leg-spinner, last represented India in T20Is against England nearly a year ago in Mumbai. He has maintained his form in domestic cricket, picking up nine wickets in seven Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches with an economy rate of 8.72, while also featuring in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Ayush Badoni has been named as Washington Sundar’s replacement for the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand. The 24-year-old Delhi batsman has been in impressive form in domestic cricket, particularly in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. In List A cricket, Badoni has scored 3424 runs in 83 matches at an average of 40.28, including four centuries and 26 fifties, with a highest score of 184. His consistent performances in the middle order, combined with his ability to accelerate when needed, have earned him this maiden call-up to the national ODI squad.
India’s Squad For New Zealand T20I Series
Full Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (first three T20Is only), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravi Bishnoi.
Road Ahead To T20 World Cup
This five-match series, scheduled across Nagpur (January 21), Raipur (January 23), Guwahati (January 25), Visakhapatnam (January 28), and Thiruvananthapuram (January 31), represents India’s final preparation before the T20 World Cup commencing February 7. The team management will use this opportunity to finalize their best XI and test various combinations under match conditions, making it crucial for fringe players like Iyer and Bishnoi to make strong cases for World Cup inclusion.
