Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match Test series against New Zealand, starting October 17. Jasprit Bumrah has been awarded the vice-captaincy of the Test team, while the same squad from the recent two-match Test series against Bangladesh which India won by 2-0 has been retained.
Recently, Bumrah reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Test bowling rankings. He dethroned his teammate Ravichandran Ashwin from the position. The speedster was the joint-highest wicket-taker of the series against Bangladesh with 11 wickets to his credit from two matches. He had an average of 12.81.
He made a comeback to the Indian team in August 2023 after a back surgery. The 30-year-old has taken 170 wickets so far from 38 Tests at an average of 20.18. Bumrah had also captained India during the rescheduled fifth Test match against England in 2022.