Dhruv Jurel has been named captain of India A for the upcoming multi-day series against New Zealand A. In October and November 2026, the wicketkeeper-batter will captain a 15-person team for three four-day games in New Zealand.
On October 6, 2026, the BCCI verified the team. Subject to fitness, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been added to the group. Dhruv Jurel will start regardless of whether Pant is cleared to play; his availability will be evaluated closer to the series.
Dhruv Jurel has been named captain of India A for the multi-day series against New Zealand A
With a mix of well-known international players and up-and-coming talent in the squad, the series gives India’s red-ball fringe players a stage on which to argue for senior selection.
Two locations on the South Island of New Zealand will host India A’s three multi-day games. The first game takes place at Lincoln from October 24 to 27. The second game will take place in Christchurch from October 31 to November 3. Lincoln will host the third and final game from November 7–10.
Christchurch and Lincoln are both located in the Canterbury region. With all three games finished before the end of the second week of November 2026, the schedule keeps the team in a small geographic area.
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Alongside players vying for their first call-up at that level, the team includes a number of players with senior India caps. Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudarsan offer extra batting depth in the middle order, while Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul are positioned at the top of the order. Washington Sundar’s bat and ball skills are all-around valuable.
With Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Anshul Kamboj, and Mukesh Choudhary in the pace attack, the team has four seam options that are appropriate for New Zealand. Auqib Nabi and Manav Suthar provide spin options, and Yash Rathod and Ravichandran Smaran round out the batting options. Players with Test experience and those looking to establish themselves in four-day conditions have been carefully balanced in the selection.
India A full squad for New Zealand multi-day series
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Smaran, Rishabh Pant (WK, subject to fitness), Dhruv Jurel (C, WK), Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, Sai Sudarsan, Yash Rathod, Mukesh Kumar.
