Team India will begin a two-match Test series against New Zealand beginning in Wellington from November 19.
Published: October 12, 2026, 1:15 PM IST
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Sai Sudharsan was part of Gujarat Titans team in IPL 2026(Photo: IANS)
India vs New Zealand 2026 Tests: Shubman Gill’s Team India will take on New Zealand in a two-match Test series beginning in Wellington on November 19The Test series is critical for India if they hope to keep their chances of qualifying for World Test Championships (WTC) 2025-27 final alive as they have to try and win the series with a 2-0 margin.
However, a spate of injuries to top Indian cricketers could derail India’s big to conquer the Black Caps on their hope turfGill’s teammate Prasidh Krishna is already in doubt for the series after injuring his hamstring in the second ODI match against West Indies.
To add to Indian team’s woes, another Indian cricketer from Gujarat Titans has now got injured just before the selection of squad for the Test series this weekGill’s opening partner in GT, Sai Sudharsan, has suffered a leg injury on day of their Ranji Trophy 2026 match while turning out for Tamil Nadu against Rajasthan at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Monday.
Sudharsan has been out of international cricket for a while now after suffering a toe injury which forced him to miss the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka earlier this yearDevdutt Padikkal replaced Sudharsan at the number three position and grabbed the opportunity with both hands by emerging as the leading run-scorer for India in the series.
SAI SUDHARSAN THIS YEAR INJURES
Jan 2026: Undisplaced rib fracture.
Aug 2026: Big toe injury
Oct 2026: Suffered a fresh leg injuryHoping for a speedy recovery and a full return to fitness big Series Coming NZ Tour https://t.co/Bm7usxk7YR
— Shariq (@Realsuperkings) October 12, 2026
The GT opener and Tamil Nadu batter was fielding in the covers early on Day 2 when he stopped a drive by Rajasthan’s Karan Lamba and lay on the groundThe TN southpaw experienced discomfort and the team physio rushed to the groundSai was hobbling and had to be helped off the field by a support staff member.
According to sources quoted by Indian Express within the TN camp, it was confirmed that the injury arose from the ball hitting Sudharsan’s knee but it was not a serious oneHe was applying an ice pack on it in the dugout and was expected to take the field again if it didn’t flare up.
Sai Sudharsan joined Tamil Nadu team at the last minute
It remains to be seen whether he will take the field again or more importantly for his homeside whether he will bat once Rajasthan are dismissedSudharsan had come in as a last-minute entrant to the TN playing XI on Sunday as he flew in from Puducherry, where he was playing for India A against Australia A, around 10pm on Saturday night.
A source in the TN team said that Sudharsan’s arrival came as a surprise to the squad, and even some selectors were not aware of itThe 24-year-old could only manage one fifty across four red-ball innings and scores of 1 and 13 in the two unofficial ODIs against Australia A in Puducherry.
He had just recovered from a toe injury before the ‘A’ tour, and has also been named in the India A squad for the three red-ball matches against New Zealand in Lincoln starting October 26Sudharsan, who was retained for Rs 8.5 crore by Shubman Gill’s GT ahead of IPL 2026, has scored 383 runs in 7 Tests at an average of 31.91 with 3 fifties and a best of 87.
