Shreyas Iyer IN, Washington Sundar OUT! Team India Makes Big Changes For NZ T20I Series

The upcoming T20I series between India and New Zealand is all set to start from January 21 in Nagpur. Once done with the ODI series, the players will be looking forward to the shortest format of the game ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.

The India T20 squad for the New Zealand series was announced a few weeks ago, but the BCCI has now made a major change. With a few players injured, the team management took tactical decisions and brought two players back into the squad.

Will Shreyas Iyer T20 Comeback Strengthen India’s Middle Order?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made two changes to the team as they have included Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi in the India T20 squad for NZ series. One of the best batsmen in the world, Shreyas Iyer T20 comeback comes as a key boost for India ahead of a crucial series just before the T20 World Cup, as he looked in sublime form in the ODIs.

Along with Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi comeback will be a significant boost for the hosts. Washington Sundar has been ruled out of this bilateral series after sustaining an injury in the first ODI against New Zealand. He came out to bat again and stayed at the crease till the end, but was later ruled out of the remaining games.

For the T20 World Cup 2026, the BCCI are still waiting for Tilak Varma and Sundar to recover. In case their recovery time exceeds the deadline, the selectors will have to add new faces to the squad.

After Two Years, Shreyas Iyer Back in India’s T20I Squad

India's one of the best players and ODI team vice-captain Shreyas Iyer is all in readiness to make his comeback in the T20I team ahead of the New Zealand series. He is back in the squad after two years, as he last played in 2023 in Bengaluru. In 2024, he was out of the international set-up as well as one of the richest cricket boards in the world, the BCCI's central contract.

His consistent performance in domestic cricket helped him get back into the team. While it's not certain whether he will be back in the playing 11, his inclusion in the squad is a great boost for the team. Iyer has played in 51 T20I matches and scored 1104 runs at an average of 30.66. He hasn't scored a century yet in the format. The selectors have high expectations from him since he has performed well in the ODI series against New Zealand.